President Zurabishvili: Saakashvili not an ordinary prisoner

Georgian president Salome Zurabishvili says that the arrested ex-president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, ‘who is imprisoned in line with the law,’ is not an ordinary prisoner and that the situation around him attracts international attention and makes an influence on the country’s image. 

She said earlier today that the arrest of a president is a challenge for any country, and that the government should treat Saakashvili with dignity. 

Zurabishvili criticised the government for the recent release of Saakashvili’s videos, depicting his transfer to a prison hospital last week, stating that the videos were ‘degrading’. 

She said that the country which has 20 percent of its territories occupied and is striving for integration into NATO and the EU, should act ‘very reasonably in any situation.’ 

Zurabishvili said that the government should be ‘most interested’ in Saakashvili’s good health and ‘I believe that it is.’ She said that the authorities must inform the public about ‘each detail’ on Saakashvili’s health. 

The president stated that Saakashvili’s transfer to a civil clinic carries risks.

However, she said that the government should provide all information that the prison hospital, where Saakashvili is placed now, meets international standards. 

Zurabiahsvili stated that if the Gldani Prison No.18 hospital lacks equipment, then the government ‘must seek alternative ways.’