ECHR declines Saakashvili’s compliant on his transfer to a civil clinic

The European Court of Human Rights has rejected the complaint of former president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, on his transfer to a civil clinic and instead urged him to stop the hunger strike, the Georgian Justice Ministry has reported. 

The ministry says that the Government of Georgia was notified by a letter from the Strasbourg Court of 10 November 2021 that on the same date Saakashvili’s representatives appealed to the European Court of Human Rights to immediately transfer Saakashvili from Gldani No.18 prison hospital to a multi-profile civil clinic.

“The Strasbourg court did not meet the applicant’s above request and, instead of transferring him to a private clinic, urged the applicant to end the hunger strike,” said the ministry and released the judgment.

Saakashvili, who was arrested in Tbilisi on October 1, is a citizen of Ukraine and currently chairs the Executive Committee of the Ukrainian National Reforms Council. 

He has been on hunger strike for 42 days, claiming he is a political prisoner. 

Saakashvili was convicted in Georgia back in 2018 in absentia  for abuse of power and was sentenced to six years in prison. 

Saakashvili has also been charged with illegal takeover of property, illegal rally dispersal, embezzlement and illegally crossing the border.