Health officials claim prison clinic where Saakashvili may be taken well-equipped

Georgian Deputy Health Minister Tamar Gabunia says that the clinic of Prison No.18, where Georgia’s third president Mikheil Saakashvili may be taken due to hunger strike, is ‘well-equipped and provides all measures for a proper treatment.’  

 

However, Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria says that the clinic lacks all the services which had been recommended by a council of doctors for Saakashvili last week. 

 

Saakashvili has been on hunger strike since his arrest in Tbilisi on October 1. 

 

Since then he had received water, juices and a small amount of honey. 

 

The former president has accepted to receive medicines and is ready to go to hospital. However, he is against his taking to a prison hospital. 

 

Georgian state officials say that Saakashvili may be taken only to a prison clinic. 

 

Saakashvili has returned to Georgia after eight years in political exile to help his United National Movement party replace the Georgian Dream government. 

 

He was convicted in absentia in Georgia back in 2018 for abuse of authority and was sentenced to six years in prison. 

 

Saakashvili has also been charged with four other cases which are still in courts.