Opposition figure says health ‘stable’ as hunger strike outside Parliament enters eighth day

Opposition figure Gedevan Pokhadze on Tuesday said he remains in stable condition despite continuing a hunger strike for the eighth consecutive day outside the Georgian Parliament in Tbilisi.

Pokhadze, a member of the Coalition for Change, told reporters that he and other protesters were consuming only liquids while demanding a rerun of parliamentary elections and the release of what they describe as political prisoners.

He criticised the authorities for failing to provide an ambulance crew on site, claiming the lack of medical oversight reflected the government's refusal to recognise the legitimacy of their protest.

“We are not experiencing health complications yet. We only take fluids,” Pokhadze said. “There is no medical brigade here and I am sure none will show up, because this regime does not consider our demands legitimate. But if they recognise themselves as a government, they are obliged to ensure basic medical standards are met.”

He said the hunger strike was a response to what he described as the ruling Georgian Dream party’s actions against democracy.

“As I see it, this protest is adequate to the actions taken by Georgian Dream,” Pokhadze added.