European court ruling “put an end" to "slanderous, anti-state” campaign by ex-Pres. Saakashvili - PM
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday commented on the European Court of Human Rights' ruling on Mikheil Saakashvili. Photo: Government press office
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Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday said the European Court of Human Rights' rejection of the country’s imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s request on his transfer abroad on health grounds had “put an end to a slanderous campaign” against his Government.
In his press comments, the head of the Government noted the ruling - which came last week - had also rejected Saakashvili’s motion on his transfer to another medical facility inside the country from Tbilisi's Vivamedi clinic, and said it showed allegations by a part of the domestic opposition over Saakashvili’s maltreatment in custody were “fake” and targeted to “damage the country’s image”.
Garibashvili claimed his Government's opponents had launched the “anti-national and anti-state campaign” since the arrest of the former official in Tbilisi in October 2021, following his clandestine return to the country after eight years.
“Many friends, European leaders, colleagues talk to me and tell me that they have never seen such an extreme and unbridled campaign from any country. Moreover, they tell me it means hostility [against the country]”, Garibashvili said, adding the alleged campaign aimed at blaming the current Georgian Government for “torturing and bringing Saakashvili to death”.
In his remarks the PM also urged domestic TV channels to "take an interest" in the source of the almost one million dollars paid by the former official’s mother to the United-States based law firm Akerman to lobby the US Government to help free Saakashvili.
The disclosure of the law firm, filed in February under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, showed it had received $917,177 from Saakashvili’s family for the purpose.
Georgia’s imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili is only taking a “quarter to a third” of his necessary daily calorie intake in contradiction to efforts of professionals at the civilian clinic where he is undergoing treatment, doctors of the clinic said on Wednesday.
Nino Nadiradze, the head of the Vivamedi clinic in Tbilisi where the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili is undergoing treatment, on Friday said the former official’s “non-adjustment” to life in detention was a major cause of his health problems.
Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze on Friday said the European Court of Human Rights had rejected the imprisoned former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s request to be transferred to Poland’s capital Warsaw for treatment.
The Medical Council under the Public Defender’s Office of Georgia on Tuesday said the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili was suffering from progressive loss of muscle mass and strength that could seriously limit his movement.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday highlighted the ruling Georgian Dream party’s contribution to the country’s European integration process by claiming “no one has done more in this regard over the last 30 years”.
PM Irakli Garibashvili claimed the former official’s family had spent the funds to “raise fake accusations” of the Government “torturing and killing” Saakashvili in custody.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday slammed the country’s imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili and the “destructive part” of the domestic opposition for “dirty, anti-state campaign” over his conditions in custody, and also accused the former Defence Minister David Kezerashvili of “unprecedented robbery of European pensioners”, which he said had seen “one billion dollars” defrauded from its victims in a scheme allegedly involving the wanted former official.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said those who called for the release of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili on health grounds while knowing he was “faking his health condition” “must apologise to the Georgian public”.
The imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili “decided to stop speculations and simulations with his health and admit he is feeling good” after the European Court of Human Rights in May rejected his request for seeing the Georgian Government be ordered to facilitate his transfer abroad on health grounds, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Wednesday.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Friday told the Parliament “internal hostile forces had “harmed the national interests most” over the past three decades, in comments that alleged “betrayal” of the country by the former United National Movement Government and said some of the domestic opposition was lobbying for Georgia not to be granted the European Union membership candidate status.
Georgia’s imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili on Monday demanded to be allowed an “opportunity to openly take part in political processes” through “open debates”, and urged the public to “stand up” for his support.
Zurab Chkhaidze, the Medical Director of Tbilisi’s Vivamedi clinic where the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili is receiving treatment, on Thursday said a visiting group of Polish medical professionals had “approved” the treatment offered by the staff of the venue to the former official.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday called “absurd and shameful” the calls by some members of the European Parliament on the Georgian authorities to transfer the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili to a European Union member country for “necessary and appropriate medical care”.
Medical professional from a visiting group of Polish doctors assessing the treatment offered by the staff of the Tbilisi’s Vivamedi clinic where the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili is receiving treatment attempted to sneak a sample taken from the former official through his shoe, the Special Penitentiary Service said on Friday.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Saturday said the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights, which in May rejected an appeal by Mikheil Saakashvili, the imprisoned former President of Georgia and a citizen of Ukraine, for transfer abroad from Georgia for treatment, “confirmed that the country’s Government has been treating Saakashvili under the European standards”.
Rati Bregadze, the Georgian Justice Minister, on Monday said the latest report by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment had reflected the cooperation offered to the body by the Tbilisi clinic where the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili is undergoing treatment.