Health report by domestic Empathy centre doesn’t read Saakashvili’s poisoning – penitentiary service

The head of the medical department of the Special Penitentiary Service, Malkhaz Urtkhmelidze, on Wednesday said that health report by a domestic rehabilitation Empathy centre on the condition of imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili, did not point to poisoning, in contrast to the claims by the former president’s entourage and the head of the organization Mariam Jishkariani. 

He said the report, drafted with the involvement of local and foreign health professionals, had been handed by the court to the agency, as the latter on Thursday is scheduled to hold a trial hearing on granting Saakashvilis release or postponement of his sentence on medical grounds. 

“The penitentiary service has received a part of the conclusion, which was conducted in one of the American laboratories (NMS Labs).  The report indicates the lower limit of the substance that the analyzer catches. In conclusion, next to the lower limit indicator, the current [Saakashvili’s] result is indicated. The minimum limit of the analyzer is compared with the result, and the conclusion is drafted in such a way to point to alleged poisoning”, Urtmelidze said. 

He stressed the website of the American laboratory, where Empathy conducted the examination, both the minimum limit of a specific analysis and the permissible norm are specified, which were not reflected in the presented document.

“It turned out that the numbers they provided in this laboratory, i.e. the result, are below the norm. This document proves that the toxic substance is not present in the body in a toxic amount,” he said. 

Jishkariani said earlier this week Saakashvili’s “multiple health issues” were related to poisoning and the former president was in “urgent need” of transportation abroad for “proper treatment”.