Ex-pres Saakashvili asks acting ombudswoman to send medical council to him

Imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili on Friday asked acting public defender Tamar Gvaramadze to send a medical council to him in the Vivamedi civilian clinic in Tbilisi, where he has been receiving treatment since May of the last year. 

“Both my representatives and I have appealed to you several times in the past few days with a request to send your medical council. My condition has worsened in recent days and no one but you has the ability to send independent experts. Hopefully, you will implement this in the coming days and no political pressure will prevent you from doing so”, Saakashvili said in his social media post. 

Tbilisi city court denied granting Saakashvili’s release on medical grounds earlier this month, who claims his condition is “severe” and is in “urgent need of popper treatment” abroad. 

In contrast to the claims, the Georgian Dream authorities say the third president is engaged in “self-harm” to facilitate his “illegal release” on health grounds. 

Saakashvili, who currently holds Ukrainian citizenship, was arrested in Tbilisi in October 2021 after eight years in self-imposed political exile. 

Currently he is serving his six-year-sentence for abuse of power while in office, while three other cases are pending.