ECHR confirmed Govt’s action towards Saakashvili was “appropriate”, in line with “highest human rights standards” - Parliament Speaker
In his social media post, Papuashvili also noted that right after Saakashvili’s detention, “Georgia has become a target of a large-scale disinformation campaign”, with statements, démarches and resolutions inflicting “unprecedented reputational damage” to the country and its people. Photo via Parliament of Georgia
Tweet 
Share
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, on Friday, said the European Court of Human Rights ruling, rejecting the imprisoned former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s request to be transferred to Poland for treatment, confirmed that the Government’s action towards him “was appropriate and in accordance with the highest human rights standards”.
Papuashvili was responding to the ECHR’s ruling, announced by Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze on Friday, which had neither accepted Saakashvili’s lawyers’ request for his transfer abroad nor instructed the Georgian authorities to move the former official to another treatment facility within the country.
In his social media post, Papuashvili also noted that right after Saakashvili’s detention, “Georgia has become a target of a large-scale disinformation campaign”, with statements, démarches and resolutions inflicting “unprecedented reputational damage” to the country and its people.
He stressed the country’s domestic opposition and non-governmental organisations, as well as some foreign politicians and diplomats, “have intentionally or unintentionally participated” in the campaign against Georgia.
The only thing the Georgian people anticipate and deserve today is for those, who inflicted this damage to Georgia with their words and actions, to seek to eliminate the damage with the same vigour. It would serve as a confirmation of friendship and respect to the Georgian people”, the Parliament Speaker noted.
Saakashvili’s lawyers sent a request to ECHR on April 11 asking for support in requesting the postponement of the rest of the former President’s sentence on health grounds and his transfer to Poland for continued medical care.
The former President, who has Ukrainian citizenship and had held a public post in the country, was arrested on return to Georgia in October 2021 and has been serving a six-year term for abuse of power in the case he was convicted on. He has been undergoing treatment at the Vivamedi civilian clinic in Tbilisi since May 2022, with three other cases against him pending.