Suicide program works best in Georgia, Saakashvili to be involved in it if needed – GD MP

Suicide program in prisons works best in Georgia. I hope (former President) Mikheil Saakashvili will not need it, but if he needs it, he will be involved in the program, the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party MP, former Minister of Corrections Sozar Subari said on Wednesday.

 

Subari stated that the majority of inmates, like Saakashvili, have problems to adapt to prisons that is why the suicide program was launched in Georgia when he served as the country’s Minister of Corrections between 2012 and 2014.

 

Subari cited a member of the Public Defender’s council as saying that imprisoned third president has adaptation disorder which is also characterized by suicidal behavior.

 

“The condition covers depressive mood, suicidal behavior, decreased appetite, generalized anxiety, etc. Only a few people are able to get used to prison and, as it seems, Saakashvili also faces adaptation problems. I hope there will be no suicidal behavior on the part of Saakashvili, however, one thing I can tell you is that back in 2013 when I was a Minister of Corrections, we launched a suicide program and the county has the lowest suicide rate per 10,000 prisoners in the world,” Subari suggested.

 

Saakashvili’s family and lawyers claim that the former president is “on the verge of death and that no proper treatment is ensured for him.”

 

The Georgian Justice Ministry and the ruling Georgian Dream party top figures, however, say that all services are ensured for Saakashvili, and that the latter “just has depression.”

 

Saakashvili was arrested in Tbilisi on October 1.2021 after eight years in political exile.