Businessman Giorgi Chikvaidze transferred to prison clinic amid ongoing hunger strike

Businessman Giorgi Chikvaidze, currently detained following a ruling by the Tbilisi City Court, has been transferred to a prison clinic, according to his business partner, Irakli Papiashvili.

Papiashvili shared the news on Facebook, expressing concern for Chikvaidze’s health: “Giorgi’s condition remains severe! He cannot move without a wheelchair, has no sensation in his left foot, and the prison medical staff reports that his test results are highly concerning!”

Chikvaidze has been on a hunger strike for nine days. In a visit to the correctional facility, Eka Beselia, a politician and lawyer acting on the orders of Georgia’s fifth President, Salome Zourabichvili, assessed Chikvaidze’s deteriorating health.

“His condition is very serious… He cannot walk, and he struggles to speak. He is firmly resolved to continue his hunger strike for as long as possible. He demands to be presented with at least one piece of evidence justifying the change of his bail to pre-trial detention,” Beselia stated after visiting Chikvaidze.

On March 19, the Public Defender’s Office released information about Chikvaidze’s health, emphasizing that he is under medical supervision due to serious health concerns linked to his hunger strike.

Chikvaidze was initially released on bail after being charged with embezzlement of a significant amount of money. However, on March 11, the court revoked his bail and ordered his pre-trial detention. He subsequently accused the ruling party’s founder, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, and Chief Prosecutor Giorgi Gabitashvili of corruption, placing responsibility for his arrest on what he termed the “Russian regime.”