EU ambassador on Saakashvili’s prison-transfer videos: regrettable, raise questions

EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell says that the videos released by the country’s Special Penitentiary Service, depicting former president Mikheil Saakashvili’s transfer to Gldani prison hospital on Monday, are ‘regrettable and raise question marks.’

Hartzell could not also see the necessity of the release of the videos which did not serve the goal to discharge the tense political situation in the country. 

The videos show that Saakashvili did not wish to leave the emergency vehicle and he insulted the people in the car and  Gldani Prison No.18 medical personnel on November 8. 

The videos also show that Saakashvili was forcibly taken down from the vehicle and brought to the Gldani prison hospital ‘to prevent complications in his health on the 39th day of hunger strike.’ 

 Saakashvili says  that the transfer happened against his will and he was physically and verbally abused by the prison personnel.

The Georgian Justice Ministry says that the release of the videos aimed to dismiss Saakashvili’s and the opposition’s accusations that the former president was ill-treated.