"Georgian government is responsible for Saakashvili's health" - US State Department

State Dept on Saakashvili

The US State Department sent comments to Voice of America regarding the health of ex-President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, saying that “protecting the health of Mr. Saakashvili and protecting human rights is the responsibility of the Georgian government.” The US State Department is “very closely following” Saakashvili’s treatment and maintains that the Georgian government is responsible for treating him with dignity.

“Based on the advice of the Public Defender’s medical experts, we will continue to speak to the appropriate individuals to take the necessary steps for Saakashvili’s health and well-being,” the statement reads.

Tbilisi City Court was supposed to decide on postponement or annulment of Saakashvili’s sentence on December 9, but the court session was postponed to December 14.

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On December 12 a press conference was held in Strasbourg concerning Mr Saakashvili’s dire health. Saakashvili’s son Eduard said at the conference: “We must not let my father die in prison.”

Saakashvili’s mother Giuli Alasania, his wife Sandra Rulofs, son Eduard Saakashvili, European parliamentarians Anna Fotyga and Miriam Lexmann, and Saakashvili’s lawyer Massimo D’angelo took part in the press conference. In their speech, they once again called on the ruling Georgian Dream party to release Saakashvili from prison.

On December 6, a council created by the Public Defender of Georgia prepared a report on Saakashvili’s health. Four doctors visited the ex-president on December 5.

According to cardiologist Giorgi Kacharava, Saakashvili should change the place of treatment. Neurologist Tengiz Tsuladze said that Saakashvili’s health had “significantly” worsened compared to April.

Also according to doctors, he has cachexia [extreme malnutrition] of the fourth degree, which means that he may have only months to live.

On December 2, a US toxicological examination signed by Professor David Smith was published. It says that the presence of heavy metals and other substances, including mercury and arsenic, was found in Mikhail Saakashvili’s body. The specialist associates Saakashvili’s symptoms with ingestion of these substances.

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On December 1, the Empathy Center published a medical report on the health of Mikheil Saakashvili, according to which the ex-president has more than twenty disorders, about ten of which are incompatible with imprisonment.

Empathy has not disclosed these disorders In conclusion but stress that his condition is severe. His diagnoses, either individually or collectively, can lead to irreversible deterioration in health, reduced life expectancy, and even death if he is not given the opportunity to receive adequate diagnosis and treatment.