President of Georgia: Saakashvili's health is important for the country's reputation

President of Georgia statement on Saakashvili

According to Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili, Mikheil Saakashvili’s health is important for the country’s reputation.

“Members of my administration are having medical consultations; one such meeting is is scheduled for today. I believe that this is the most correct way. I am not an expert and able to draw a conclusion [about Saakashvili’s health]. The conclusion must be made by others. If there is a conclusion [on critical well-being], then it must be submitted to the court and the court must make an honorable decision,” the president said, speaking to reporters.

“I want the court to approve this if there is a conclusion requiring [to bring the ex-president abroad for treatment].”

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On October 6 this year the head of the State Security Service, Temur Janashia, who visited the ex-president at the Vivamed clinic, said that Saakashvili’s health had deteriorated so much that he was “actually no longer a person”, and felt very unwell due to a constant temperature of 38 degrees and high blood pressure. According to Janashia, Saakashvili is bed-ridden.

American expert Shahin Lahan, after their own visit, explained that studies show an acute shortage of all “vital indicators” and that such a condition “should not be in a normal person under conditions of normal health care.”

Saakashvili’s foreign lawyer Massimo Dangelo also visited him at the clinic and announced a significant deterioration in his client’s health. According to the lawyer, Mikheil Saakashvili’s condition “threatens his life.”

US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan urged the Georgian government to take he Public Defender’s recommendations on Saakashvili’s health seriously.

Mikheil Saakashvili has been in prison for more than one year. The ex-president was arrested after he secretly returned to Georgia on October 1, 2021.

President of Georgia statement on Saakashvili