Ex-pres. Saakashvili to attend trial hearing on his release on medical grounds remotely – doctor

Director of Vivamedi civilian clinic, Zurab Chkhaidze, where convicted former president Mikheil Saakashvili has been undergoing treatment since May, on Wednesday said the latter was likely to participate in a trial hearing on his release on medical grounds remotely. 

The trial will be held in Tbilisi City Court at 11:00 later today. 

Saakashvili’s lawyer Shalva Khachapuridze also confirmed the defendant had planned to participate in the process via a video link. 

The trial was postponed from Friday to Wednesday due to technical flaws. 

Saakashvili is demanding his release on medical grounds or the postponement of his sentence to receive “proper treatment” abroad, with a recent report by a domestic NGO Empathy on his health pointing to more than 20 health issues. 

The former president was arrested in Tbilisi in October 2021, after eight years in self-imposed political exile.