EU Ambassador to Georgia: EU remains concerned about Saakashvili's health

EU is concerned about Saakashvili’s health

According to the EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell, the EU remains concerned about the risks associated with the condition of former President Mikheil Saakashvili, as well as the possible sudden and irreversible deterioration of his health.

Harzell said in an interview with the InterpressNews agency, the recommendations of the council of doctors have not yet been fully implemented and called on the Georgian authorities to fully implement these recommendations.

The EU Ambassador also called on the Georgian authorities to ensure a transparent and fair trial in all cases against Saakashvili in an independent and impartial court.

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“We welcome the thorough review carried out by the Office of the State Inspection on the Rights of Prisoners. We constantly monitor the recommendations and assessments of these agencies, as well as the positions expressed by the Georgian authorities and Mr. Saakashvili’s lawyers”, Carl Harzell said.

The ambassador also stressed that Saakashvili is being held in Gldani prison under conditions of degrading treatment, he was threatened, and claims that he was transferred there by fraudulent means and forcibly:

“We also note that the authorities have released videos of Saakashvili’s imprisonment and provided personal information about his health. Therefore, we call on the Georgian authorities to ensure full compliance with Georgian legislation and international obligations, including the obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights”.

Carl Harzell also reacted to the November 10 trial, which Saakashvili was not allowed to attend or defend himself. According to the ambassador, in this context, according to the European Convention on Human Rights, everyone charged with a criminal offense has the right to a fair trial in person or through legal assistance of their choice.

According to the ambassador, the EU strongly supports the work of the Public Defender.

Public Defender of Georgia Nino Lomjaria inspected the medical facility of the Gldani prison on the outskirts of Tbilisi, where Saakashvili was transferred from the prison in the city of Rustavi several times. The Ombudsman wrote in her reports that the conditions in the clinic were not suitable for treating the patient.

This was one of the main arguments of Mikheil Saakashvili’s doctors and lawyers, whocategorically opposed the transfer of Mikheil Saakashvili to a prison in Gldani. The ex-president opposed it too.

The council, the civil sector, opposition, artists and many others have called on the government to transfer the former president to a civilian multidisciplinary clinic.

With this demand, the leader of the Droa political party, Elena Khoshtaria, also went on a hunger strike in parliament. The authorities stubbornly repeated that, if necessary, the prisoner would be transferred only to a medical facility in the Gldani prison.

On November 8, Mikheil Saakashvili was forcibly taken to the Gldani prison. The ex-president has been on hunger strike for 40 days, demanding release from prison, where he was placed after returning to Georgia from Ukraine on October 1.

In parallel with these processes, on November 8, the opposition launched large-scale, indefinite protests demanding the release of Mikhail Saakashvili and the announcement of early elections.