“We must not let our father die in prison” - Saakashvili's son

Press conference in Strasbourg on Saakashvili

The son of the ex-president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, addressed the Georgian authorities during a press conference held in Strasbourg and devoted to Saakashvili’s health. “We must not let my father die in prison,” Eduard Saakashvili said.

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.

“We have to go through this difficult period in the history of our family. But there is a simple solution, there is a real opportunity for the Georgian government to take the right step and allow Saakashvili to be treated abroad. I think that now we have a real chance, with the support of our friends in Europe, to change this situation. It depends on all of us — on the family, on people who agree that it is necessary to save my father’s life and preserve his health,” Eduard Saakashvili said.

“The health of President Mikheil Saakashvili is very important, because we are talking about a man who made incredible changes in Georgia, tried to transfer the country to the western orbit,” Saakashvili’s American lawyer, Massimo D’angelo, said. According to him, Saakashvili is a political prisoner and “needs emergency” treatment:

“I saw him with my own eyes in early October. A team of doctors confirms that Saakashvili is in serious condition. Not only was he tortured and poisoned, he was also given drugs that worsened his health. He needs treatment to save his life. We appeal to Georgian Dream and Bidzina Ivanishvili and demand the immediate release of Saakashvili. We hope that our voices will be heard and the life of Mikheil Saakashvili will be saved.”

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There are legal grounds for Saakashvili’s release on health grounds, MEP Miriam Lexmann of the European People’s Party (EPP) (Christian Democrats) says. The recommendations that Georgia must fulfill in order to obtain the status of a candidate include, among other things, two points: a fair judiciary and the fight against the polarization of society.

“There is a legal basis set out in Article 283, and we have evidence that Saakashvili’s health falls under this article. We believe that the judiciary and judges of Georgia should consider this issue in accordance with the law and release Saakashvili,” Lexmann said.

According to her, if Saakashvili dies in prison it will be difficult to talk about the independence of the Georgian judiciary.

In this regard, Lexmann mentioned another high-profile case – the imprisonment of the founder of Georgia’s main opposition TV channel Mtavari Arkhi, Nika Gvaramia:

“In the case of Nika Gvaramia, according to the statement of the Ombudsman of Georgia, there are political motives. Even if only these two cases are not brought into line with Georgian law, this will be a reason for the EU to say no.”

MEP Anna Fotyga appealed to Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili and the Georgian Dream party with a call to release Saakashvili from prison.

The third president should be released on humanitarian grounds, as his health is serious, Fotyga said at a press conference in Strasbourg:

“I applied twice to visit Mikheil Saakashvili while he was in prison, and I was denied, although in the case of other prisoners I was given permission … This is very important for MEPs, for the leaders of the European Union, so that they have the opportunity to visit Mikheil Saakashvili”, Fotyga said.

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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 substanes.

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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 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.

Press conference in Strasbourg on Saakashvili