Health Minister says penitentiary system ensuring health and rights of “any prisoner”
Azarashvili also noted the ability of the National Forensics Bureau to carry out a toxicological examination of Saakashvili with the purpose of establishing facts around claims by the former officials entourage and legal team about his alleged poisoning. Photo: Government Administration
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Georgian Health Minister Zurab Azarashvili on Monday highlighted the penitentiary system’s attitude of ensuring health of patients and rights of prisoners, a state of affairs he contrasted with conditions during the former Government, in comments about the latest developments around the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili.
During the previous [United National Movement] Government, there was no such attitude [towards prisoners] and there was a drastically different picture. Today, the Government has the ability to take care of any patient and, if necessary, provide medical services, with the conditions and infrastructure that are important for prisoners”, the Government official said.
Azarashvili also noted the ability of the National Forensics Bureau to carry out a toxicological examination of Saakashvili with the purpose of establishing facts around claims by the former officials entourage and legal team about his alleged poisoning.
The Minister’s comments follow a statement by Georgia’s Special Investigation Service, which on Monday said Saakashvili and his team had refused to provide samples for analysis by the Bureau on traces of alleged presence of poisonous substances in his body.
Georgia’s Special Investigation Service on Monday said the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili and his team had refused to provide samples for analysis by the National Forensics Bureau on traces of alleged presence of poisonous substances in the former official’s body.
Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said it was “categorically unacceptable” to draw parallels between cases involving the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili and prospects of Georgia joining the European Union.
Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Foreign Relations Committee, on Thursday said there were “no question marks” regarding the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili in the capitals of Georgia’s partner countries.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday accused the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili of “talentless simulation” in his participation in the ongoing trial hearing at Tbilisi City Court on granting release or postponement of the rest of his sentence on medical grounds.
Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze on Wednesday met representatives of the foreign diplomatic corps in the country to provide them with “detailed information” about developments around the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili, the Ministry said.
Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze on Thursday responded to a recent public statement by former President Giorgi Margvelashvili, who had claimed convicted individuals were “killed by torture” in detention in the country, by calling the comments a “lie” and a “baseless manipulative accusation” insulting to penitentiary staff.