Opposition MP: Ukraine President’s request to release imprisoned former President Saakashvili "inappropriate”
Elisashvili was responding to a statement by Zelenskyy, who on Tuesday called on Georgian authorities to allow a transfer of Saakashvili - now a citizen of Ukraine - to a Ukrainian-, European- or American-based clinic for further treatment. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Citizens opposition party MP Aleko Elisashvili on Monday criticised the appeal of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy for Georgian authorities to enable the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili's transfer abroad for medical treatment as "inappropriate".
Elisashvili was responding to a statement by Zelenskyy, who on Tuesday called on Georgian authorities to allow a transfer of Saakashvili - now a citizen of Ukraine - to a Ukrainian-, European- or American-based clinic for further treatment.
I do not consider it an appropriate request that the president of one country calls on the leadership of another country to release a particular convict, [even considering] the fact that he has Ukrainian citizenship”, Elisashvili said.
The MP also noted the Georgian Government was responsible for the health and life of Saakashvili.
The former President has been receiving treatment at the Vivamedi clinic in Tbilisi since May 12, after he was moved from the Gori Military Hospital - where he was transferred in late November 2021 from the hospital of the Gldani No.18 prison. The latter, in turn, served as his detention location after his move from the Rustavi No.12 prison, the initial detention venue, in early November last year.
Saakashvili was arrested in Tbilisi in October 2021 on his clandestine return to Georgia ahead of municipal elections. He has been serving a six-year term for abuse of power in two separate cases stemming back to his time in office, while three other cases are pending.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the Executive Secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said the 2021 arrival of former President Mikheil Saakashvili from Ukraine to Georgia had been a “special operation” to involve the country in the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Committee on Human Rights, on Monday said the goal of the hunger strike declared by several members of the opposition United National Movement party in support of allowing the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili a transfer abroad for medical treatment was for “facilitating his escape from responsibility”.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday responded to a call by the Ukrainian foreign office for Georgian authorities to accept the request for delaying the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s sentence for ensuring his medical treatment abroad by saying the former official had committed crimes in Georgia that necessitated his serving of the sentence in the country.
Archil Talakvadze, the Georgian Parliament's Vice Speaker, on Thursday said the entourage of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili “do not care about his health”, alleging their interest in facilitating his escape from justice through a bypassing of the law.
The Ukrainian Government was “directly involved” in the “special operation” to send the former President Mikheil Saakashvili to Georgia and the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy “bears his share of responsibility” in this regard, Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, said on Tuesday in response to the appeal of Zelenskyy to Georgian authorities to transfer the imprisoned former President Saakashvili abroad for medical treatment.
Georgia's Vice Prime Minister Thea Tsulukiani on Tuesday responded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call for Georgian authorities to allow the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili a transfer abroad for treatment by highlighting human rights violations during the latter’s time in Government.
Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Foreign Relations Committee, on Wednesday urged the Ukrainian Government to “distance itself” from several of its representatives who he said had “openly revealed their desire” to see Georgia involved in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said ensuring the good health of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili was in the interest of Georgian authorities and doctors as he had five more years of his sentence to serve.
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Committee on Human Rights, on Saturday said a resolution adopted by the Polish Sejm on Georgia’s imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili was an attempt to “force an open door”.