In his address during the 2024 winter session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Levan Bezhashvili, a member of the United National Movement opposition party raised the health condition and treatment of Georgia's imprisoned third president and the UNM founder, Mikheil Saakashvili.

Bezhashvili asserted that Saakashvili was “unjustly incarcerated” on what he described as politically motivated charges and claimed the “oligarchic government” of Georgia was punishing Saakashvili for his “tireless efforts in protecting democracy, fighting corruption, and establishing a historic precedent for the peaceful transfer of power through democratic elections”. 

Describing Saakashvili's treatment as “inhumane and degrading”, Bezhashvili highlighted that the former president had been targeted both in prison and at the medical clinic, also pointing to allegations that Saakashvili was poisoned during his transfer from the prison hospital to a civilian clinic last year. 

Bezhashvili emphasized that Saakashvili's case was “widely perceived” as a consequence of his opposition to the Kremlin and his “steadfast commitment” to democracy, painting him as a “personal prisoner” of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He called for unity among committee members, urging them to use their voices in advocating for justice and the release of not only Saakashvili but also other “political prisoners”. 

The European Court of Human Rights last year rejected Saakashvili’s motion on his transfer abroad on health grounds. There are no official, international documents labeling Saakashvili as a political prisoner or confirming his alleged ill-treatment in Georgia following his arrest in October 2021. 

The Georgian Dream authorities claim the former official had been engaged in “self-harm” and “damaging the national interests” to facilitate his “illegal release” from detention. 

Saakashvili is currently serving his six-year term for abuse of power while in office. Three other cases involving him are still pending.