Saakashvili claims he was physically abused during a transfer to Gldani hospital

Georgia’s former president Mikheil Saakashvili claims that he was physically abused during a transfer to Gldani hospital late yesterday. 

He says that the prison staff cursed and dragged him to the ground, while the inmates of the prison, ‘who are convicted for serious crimes,’

were happy by his presence there. Saakashvili says that the Georgian Dream government ‘is fulfilling Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order,’

and aims to ‘psychically destroy’ him. The former president was transferred to Gldani No.18 prison hospital in Tbilisi from Rustavi No.12 prison following the recommendations of the medical council that he needed treatment in a hospital. 

Saakashvili, who says that he returned to Georgia after eight years in political exile to remove the Georgian Dream government from power, has been on hunger strike for 40 days. 

However, the Ministry of Justice said that the former president was eating certain food while on hunger strike. 

Saakashvili, who is a citizen of Ukraine and currently chairs the Executive Committee of the Ukrainian National Reforms Council, was convicted in Georgia back in 2018 for abuse of power and was sentenced to six years in prison. 

He has also been charged with illegal takeover of property, illegal rally dispersal, embezzlement and illegally crossing the border. 

Saakashvili says that he is a political prisoner and was demanding his transportation to a civil clinic. 

However, the government said that Saakashvikli and his United National Movement party had plans to cause unrest if he was transferred to a civil clinic.