Court denies ex-Pres. Saakashvili release or term postponement

Doctor Shahin Lahan, an American health professional who contributed to a medical report on the imprisoned former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, on Monday told Tbilisi City Court dementia was a “major health issue” for the former official’s condition in detention.

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. 

Zurab Chkhaidze, the Clinical Director of Vivamedi clinic in Tbilisi, on Thursday rejected claims by the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili and his legal team that said he had suffered “several blackout episodes” over the past several days due to “very complicated” health condition.

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili and his entourage “must come to terms with the reality” that the former official will “have to serve his sentence”, in comments on the ongoing controversies related to the former official’s health. 

Malkhaz Urtkmelidze, the Head of the Medical Department of Georgia’s Special Penitentiary Service, on Wednesday said the conclusions of a medical study on the condition of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili rejected the possibility of poisoning of the former official.

The Special Penitentiary Service of Georgia on Monday said the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili had refused a toxicological examination offered by the body in November, in response to claims of his lawyers over the former official’s alleged poisoning. 

A trial hearing in Tbilisi City Court on granting the release of imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili on medical grounds or postponing the rest of his sentence has been postponed from Friday to Wednesday.

Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Committee on Human Rights, on Tuesday said the opposition United National Movement party was trying to help the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili avoid having to serve the rest of his sentence and "running a PR campaign" for the purpose.

Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze on Monday said authorities were “doing their utmost” to ensure the health of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili in detention.

Giuli Alasania, the mother of the imprisoned former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, on Thursday said his son was not accusing the Georgian government of poisoning him in detention, and believed “traces” originating in a “foreign state” could be related to his medical condition.

Lawyers of Mikheil Saakashvili, the imprisoned former president of Georgia, on Thursday appealed to Tbilisi City Court for granting his release on medical grounds, citing a new report by a domestic rehabilitation centre that pointed to potential “coma and death” for the former official in detention.

Mikheil Sarjveladze, the chair of the Georgian parliament's committee on human rights, on Monday said “psychological intolerance” to detention environment was “not a reason” for granting individuals release from prison, pointing out the information made public on diagnoses and health condition of the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili was “not enough” to warrant his transfer abroad for treatment.

Georgia’s justice minister Rati Bregadze on Tuesday called claims about poisoning of the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili a “slanderous campaign” and said the allegations were “immoral” and an “interference” in the work of medical professionals working to ensure his health.

Georgian justice minister Rati Bregadze on Tuesday said the government was offering the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili to bring “any doctor from any foreign clinic” and involve them in his treatment in Georgia.

Mikheil Saakashvili, the imprisoned former president of Georgia, on Monday dismissed claims by his lawyer Valeri Gelbakhiani over his alleged poisoning while in custody, stating he had “never” told any of his lawyers he had suspected poisoning had triggered his current “complicated health”. 

Georgia’s former President Mikheil Saakashvili has been detained today, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has announced. "Our law enforcement agencies had prior information about his (Saakashvili’s) movement from Ukraine to Georgia and the process was under the control” Garibashvili stated.

Announcement of United National Movement, the largest opposition party in the country, to boycott Parliamentary work in response to Tbilisi City Court ruling on the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili is a part of the party’s “continuous efforts” to “hamper” Georgia’s European integration process, Anri Okhanashvili, the Chair of the Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee from the ruling Georgian Dream party, said on Tuesday. 

Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said it "did not matter" whether the opposition United National Movement party would take part in Parliamentary work, following UNM Chair Levan Khabeishvili's announcement on Monday of the party's boycott of the legislative body.

Paweł Herczyński, the Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, on Monday called on the domestic opposition to remain in the Parliament and take a “constructive” approach on the ongoing work for implementing the European Union conditions for granting the country the membership candidate status.

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said it was “unfortunate” that resolutions of the European Parliament had become “sources of misinformation”.

Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said statements by some members of the European Parliament about the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili were based on “absurdity and misinformation”.

The Georgian Special Penitentiary Service on Wednesday rejected claims by the family and legal team of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili that said he was “unable to move” due to the allegedly worsening health condition, and released footage from the clinic where the former official is receiving treatment to disprove the statement.

The Georgian Government has been creating the “maximum support and comfort” for the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili, providing him with “all privileges” that no other prisoners have, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili responded to a question on Saturday at the panel discussion, held within scope of the Munich Security Conference.

Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze on Sunday said the “wish” of the Georgian Government to ensure “good health” of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili was “not reciprocated” in the actions of the former official.

The Tbilisi Court of Appeals on Thursday upheld the verdict of the Tbilisi City Court that denied the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili's release or postponement of the rest of his sentence on health grounds. 

Irakli Kadagishvili, the Chair of the Rules and Procedural Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, on Thursday said “all international organisations” should call on the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili to “abandon the policy of self-harm” in detention.

Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze on Monday said neither the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili nor his family and legal team had requested involvement of foreign medical professionals in his treatment following an offer by the Georgian authorities.