Former Georgian president Saakashvili calls for another hunger strike Amazon deforestation continues to increase sharply

The imprisoned and ailing Georgian ex-president Mikhail Saakashvili canceled his previously announced hunger strike on Wednesday. He has now received a message from members of the European Parliament calling on him “categorically to end the hunger strike at this time,” Saakashvili said in a statement obtained by AFP news agency.

He should not give the authorities an excuse to accuse him of self-harm. “The delegates pledge to mobilize all diplomatic efforts to ensure the protection of my minimum rights,” he added.

Saakashvili’s lawyer Dito Sadzaglischvili had previously announced that his client was going on a hunger strike to participate in the court hearings “via a video link” from the hospital. Saakashvili, who was arrested in Georgia in October 2021, has been on hunger strike for several weeks to protest what he considers politically motivated detention.

His lawyers had asked for the prison sentence to be suspended on health grounds. However, Wednesday’s hearing was eventually postponed after authorities failed to establish a video link between the courtroom and the hospital.

abuse and poisoning

Several independent medical experts said Saakashvili, 54, suffered from a number of neurological conditions and called for better medical care for the ex-president. Doctors from the human rights organization Empatia said he had been physically abused and “psychologically tortured” by prison guards.

According to another doctor, the former Georgian president has lost about 40 kilograms since his imprisonment. Tests also indicate “heavy metal poisoning” after Saakashvili’s imprisonment, including with mercury and arsenic, according to an American toxicologist.

The reason for his poor health was not the refusal of “forced food”, but because he was “poisoned” and “the victim of inappropriate treatment for months”, Saakashvili explained. However, according to the Georgian authorities, Saakashvili is receiving adequate medical care. They have now committed to ensuring that he can attend a court hearing next week.

Last week, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili commented on growing concerns about Saakashvili’s health. Life is God-given, so he “can’t really be responsible for anyone’s life,” he said.

imprisonment for political revenge

He had previously stated that Saakashvili was imprisoned for refusing to leave politics. The EU and the US had previously said that the Georgian government was responsible for providing adequate medical care to the ex-head of state.

In October, the Council of Europe human rights organization called for the release of political prisoners who have opposed Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia and elsewhere, including Saakashvili. Amnesty International described his treatment as “clear political revenge”. Like Ukraine, Georgia is seeking EU membership and is also applying for NATO membership.

President during the Caucasus War

Saakashvili was President of Georgia from 2004 to 2013. During his tenure, the 2008 Caucasus War between Tbilisi and Moscow over the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, in which Georgia was defeated. Since then, Russia has maintained a strong military presence in both regions.

Saakashvili was arrested in October 2021 on charges of abuse of office when he returned to his homeland after a long exile, which he spent mainly in Ukraine. In Ukraine, his positions included President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s reform commissioner and governor of the Odessa region. (aeg/sda/apa/afp)