Trial hearing on ex-pres. Saakashvili’s release on medical grounds to resume on Wednesday

A trial hearing on granting the release of Georgia’s former president Mikheil Saakashvili on medical grounds or the postponement of his sentence will resume on Wednesday. 

American neurologist Shahin Lahan was remotely interrogated during Monday’s hearing, saying Saakashvili suffered from dementia and several other health issues, claiming the former official was in need of treatment abroad. 

He also said Saaakshvili was “absolutely” healthy before his arrest in Tbilisi in  October 2021. 

In response, the representative of the country’s special penitentiary service had pointed to several health issues, including post-conid symptom and anxiety-depression before Saakashvili’s arrest, as well as consumption of alcohol to “calm himself down” by the former official along with receiving treatment [while in Ukraine]. 

Lawyers said Saakahsvili was unable to remotely attend the trial due to “complicated health”. 

The former official was arrested in Tbilisi in October 2021 on his clandestine return from Ukraine, where he chaired the executive committee of the national reforms council as a citizen of the country. 

Currently he is serving his six-year-sentence for abuse of power while in office.