Juansher Burchuladze, the Georgian defence minister, on Thursday asked domestic human rights organizations why they had not reacted to the recent footage by the country’s justice minister over convicted former president Mikheil Saakashvili’s conditions in the Vivamedi civilian clinic. 

“Why the organizations had not reacted to the footage in which Saakashvili abuses medical personnel. Are not their [the medical staff’s] rights violated?”, the minister asked. 

“The man [referring to Saaakshvili], who was terrorizing the public while in office, continues to do so [in the clinic, where he has been receiving treatement since May]”, the official said. 

The minister also commented on the recent resolution by the European Parliament, which called for the release of Saakashvili and cited the ruling party founder and former prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili as an oligarch, calling for sanctions on him. 

Burchuladze stressed if the country “has to be punished for getting rid of the totalitarian and the sadist regime [referring to Saakashvili’s United National Movement while in office between 2004 and 2012], it will be a decision against the people of Georgia”, calling on the bloc “not to act against the will” of the majority of Georgians.