Degnan ‘concerned’ about Saakashvili’s health, welcomes he is under supervision of doctors

Degnan ‘concerned’ about Saakashvili’s health, welcomes he is under supervision of doctors

US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan says that she is concerned about Georgia’s former president Mikheil Saakashvili’s wellbeing, who has been on hunger strike for 28 days.  


“I think when you are talking about matters of health, it’s important to defer to the qualified medical experts. And I’m glad to see that there is a multidisciplinary team that is monitoring these conditions, and we are also closely monitoring his condition,” Degnan stated. 


Commenting on upcoming election run-offs on Saturday, she has expressed  hope that voters will have confidence in the outcome of the elections. 


“Obviously they aren’t going to be perfect, but I think we saw last year that this kind of unstable and divisive, polarized political situation distracts the whole country from both political progress, as well as economic progress in dealing with COVID and other challenges facing this country,” Degnan said. 


Saakashvili, who returned to Georgia after eight years in political exile, was arrested in Tbilisi on October 1, one day before Georgia's municipal elections. 


He claims he returned to help his United National Movement opposition party to regain office. 


Saakashvili was convicted in absentia in Georgia back in 2018 for abuse of authority and was sentenced to six years in prison. He has also been charged with four other offences which are still in courts. Saakashvili claims he is a ‘political prisoner.’





US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan says that she is concerned about Georgia’s former president Mikheil Saakashvili’s wellbeing, who has been on hunger strike for 28 days.  


“I think when you are talking about matters of health, it’s important to defer to the qualified medical experts. And I’m glad to see that there is a multidisciplinary team that is monitoring these conditions, and we are also closely monitoring his condition,” Degnan stated. 


Commenting on upcoming election run-offs on Saturday, she has expressed  hope that voters will have confidence in the outcome of the elections. 


“Obviously they aren’t going to be perfect, but I think we saw last year that this kind of unstable and divisive, polarized political situation distracts the whole country from both political progress, as well as economic progress in dealing with COVID and other challenges facing this country,” Degnan said. 


Saakashvili, who returned to Georgia after eight years in political exile, was arrested in Tbilisi on October 1, one day before Georgia's municipal elections. 


He claims he returned to help his United National Movement opposition party to regain office. 


Saakashvili was convicted in absentia in Georgia back in 2018 for abuse of authority and was sentenced to six years in prison. He has also been charged with four other offences which are still in courts. Saakashvili claims he is a ‘political prisoner.’