EU Ambassador: gov’t responsible for Saakashvili’s health

EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell says the responsibility for taking care of prisoners lies with the authorities and he expects that steps will be taken to treat imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili “on the basis of impartial medical recommendations.”

“I will not say anything new, we have a very clear position over the rights of prisoners, the right to a free trial. When it comes to [prisoner] health, it is the responsibility of the authorities to take care of it,” Hartzell said today. 

Saakashvili’s lawyers say that the third president’s health condition is serious and they are petitioning the judge to instruct the director of the penitentiary service to allow members of the concilium created by the Empathy Center to visit Saakashvili regularly at the 12th prison of Rustavi.

The Special Penitentiary Service of Georgia says that all services are ensured for Saakashvili, while the latter himself refused to walk or receive certain medical care. 

Saakashvili was arrested in Tbilisi last year after eight years in political exile. 

 

He said he returned to help the opposition change the Georgian Dream authorities.