EPP concerned by reports of ‘deteriorated health’ of Saakashvili

The European People’s Party (EPP) say that they are concerned by the reports of ‘deteriorated health condition’ of Georgia’s third president Mikheil Saakashvili, who has been on hunger strike for 27 days. 

 

“We call on Georgian authorities to urgently transfer former President Saakashvili to an appropriate civil hospital; by not doing so, authorities bear responsibility for any aggravation of his health,” EPP has tweeted. 

 

A Ukrainian public defender, who met Saakashvili in prison earlier today, also called on the Georgian Justice Ministry to take Saakashvili to a civil clinic. 

 

Lyudmila Denisova also claimed that she faced problems to leave Tbilisi airport and meet with Saakashvili. 

 

Saakashvili’s Ukrainian lawyer Evgen Grushovets posted earlier today that he was not let into Georgia. 

 

Ukrainian journalist Dmitry Gordon also states that he was banned from entering the country ‘without naming a reason.’ 

 

The former president posted today that the founder of the Georgian Dream ruling party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, ‘is very much afraid’ of him.

 

Saakashvili, who was arrested in Tbilisi on October 1, ahead of Georgia’s municipal elections, is a citizen of Ukraine and currently chairs the Ukrainian National Reforms Council. 

 

He returned to Georgia after eight years in political exile to change the Georgian Dream government. 

 

Saakashvili was convicted in Georgia in absentia back in 2018 for abuse of authority and was sentenced to six years in prison. 

 

He has also been charged with four other offences, including the illegal crossing of the border from Ukraine to Georgia. 

 

The Ukrainian government says they will use all measures to return Saakashvili back to Ukraine.