Tbilisi Court of Appeals denies ex-Pres. Saakashvili’s release on medical grounds

Tbilisi Court of Appeals on Thursday denied former president Mikheil Saakashvili’s transfer abroad on health grounds, following the same verdict by Tbilisi City Court early in February. 

Lawyers, who claim the former official is in “urgent need of proper treatment abroad”, told the media they would appeal the “unfair ruling”. 

Saakashvili, who has been receiving treatment in the Vivamedi civilian clinic in Tbilisi since May 2022, following his arrest in October of 2021, claims his health had “deteriorated severely” while in custody. 

Challenging his claims, the government members and the medical personnel of the clinic say the former official has been engaged in “self-harm through not-obeying the doctors” to “artificially complicate his condition to facilitate illegal release” from prison. 

The third president of the country, currently holding Ukrainian citizenship, is serving his six-year sentence for abuse of power, while three other cases involving him are still pending.