Gov’t plans to return my son to prison – ex-Pres. Saakashvili’s mother

Giuli Alsania, mother of the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili, on Wednesday claimed the country’s authorities reportedly had plans to return his son to prison from the Tbilisi Vivamedi clinic, where the former official has been receiving treatment since May 2022. 

The comment came following the statement of the clinic administration earlier that day, in which they addressed the country’s penitentiary service to evaluate the needs of Saakashvili’s stay in the clinic, citing the patient’s refusal “over the months” to follow the doctors’ instructions. 

Alasania called the claims “incorrect” and stressed a “single doctor” who refused to ensure aid for his son due to alleged “ill-treatment” had been “forced” to do so, pointing to the country’s authorities. 

She also said the government was “unlikely” to allow foreign medical professionals in the clinic to prevent them from seeing his son’s “real conditions”. 

Saakashvili was arrested in Tbilisi in October 2021.