European Parliament Lawyers Urge Saakashvili to End Hunger Strike

Members of the European Parliament are urging former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to terminate his hunger strike. After months of imprisonment, he is currently in a private clinic. This information comes from a letter read to journalists by his lawyer Vakhtang Baramashvili, as reported by ТАСС.

On Wednesday, Saakashvili declared a hunger strike after the Georgian Ministry of Justice's penitentiary service did not allow him to participate via video link in a hearing at the Tbilisi City Court regarding his request for release on health grounds. Nikoloz Abramishvili, a representative of the penitentiary service, explained that the Vivamed clinic lacks the necessary technical facilities. Consequently, the hearing has been scheduled for December 22.

“Now I have received a message from members of the European Parliament, who are urgently requesting that I stop the hunger strike at this stage, to prevent the relevant authorities from claiming that I am harming myself. At the same time, the European Parliament promises to mobilize all diplomatic efforts to ensure my minimal rights,” the letter states.

Previously, heavy metals, including traces of mercury, were found in Saakashvili's body, as revealed by an investigation conducted by specialists from the NGO Empathy. According to them, the politician has ten diagnoses that are incompatible with imprisonment. According to Mariam Jishkariani, head of Empathy, the former president should be sent abroad for treatment; otherwise, he could die.