Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week holds pictures of Georgia’s former president Mikheil Saakashvili taken in jail
Sergei SUPINSKY
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Georgia’s detained ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili dangers loss of life on account of crucial weight reduction behind bars, his physician and lawyer mentioned Friday as worldwide issues develop over his alleged mistreatment.
The 55-year-old pro-Western reformer has been in hospital since final 12 months after refusing meals for 50 days to protest his detention, which rights teams say is politically motivated.
“Saakashvili’s weight dropped to 68 kilograms (150 kilos) from 115 kilograms” since he was jailed in October 2021, his lawyer Dito Sadzaglishvili informed AFP.
“This can be a life-threatening weight reduction.”
Physician Mariam Jishkariani, who has examined him in particular person, informed AFP that “Saakashvili has cachexia,” muscle loss related to elevated mortality.
“Within the absence of a correct diagnostics of his underlying situation and of an sufficient medical care he dangers loss of life.”
Justice Minister Rati Bregadze insisted Saakashvili is being supplied sufficient care and that his rights are being protected.
“The person is inflicting self-harm” by refusing to eat correctly, he claimed, accusing the previous chief of getting “a easy goal to realize liberation.”
Sadzaglishvili slammed what he referred to as the minister’s “cynical lie.”
“Saakashvili isn’t refusing meals, he cannot eat,” the lawyer mentioned.
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Georgia of “slowly killing” Saakashvili, who served as Georgian president from 2004 to 2013.
“I urge the world to assist save Mikheil’s life and stop his execution,” he tweeted.
Saakashvili was stripped of his Georgian passport after buying Ukrainian nationality in 2018 whereas dwelling in exile.
Zelensky, who in 2020 appointed Saakashvili to guide a Ukrainian authorities company to steer reforms, is demanding his switch to clinic in both Ukraine or the West.
“Torturing an opposition chief to loss of life is unacceptable for a rustic that desires to hitch the European Union,” tweeted Moldovan President Maia Sandu late Thursday.
Saakashvili — who based the nation’s principal opposition drive — was convicted in absentia for abuse of workplace and sentenced to 6 years in jail in 2018.
He was arrested in 2021, days after secretly getting back from exile.
The Council of Europe rights watchdog has referred to as for his launch and in 2021, Amnesty Worldwide branded his therapy “obvious political revenge.”