Georgian MoJ refuses to transfer Saakashvili to a private clinic

If necessary, Mikhail Saakashvili, who has been on a hunger strike for the 22nd day, will be placed in a prison hospital, and not in a private clinic, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) announces its decision. The authorities fear an assault of a private hospital by supporters of the former Georgian president and expect to mentally break him in uncomfortable conditions, political analyst Vakhtang Maisaya suggests.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that Mikhail Saakashvili returned to his homeland before the elections and was arrested on October 1, as he had been sentenced in absentia to three years of imprisonment in a case on abuse of power when pardoning those convicted for the murder of businessman Sandro Girgvliani and six years of imprisonment in a case on beating of MP Valery Gelashvili in 2005.

Advocate Beka Basilaya suggests that “the president who destroyed the crime community” should not be placed in one penitentiary institution with a thousand criminals, including hard core criminals. “This is another inhumane action by the authorities. They want to plan a provocation. Mikhail Saakashvili is a political hostage of the ‘Georgian Dream’ Party," advocate Beka Basilaya claimed.

Nikoloz Kipshidze, a personal doctor of Mikhail Saakashvili, also opposed the transfer of his patient to the prison hospital.

Mikhail Saakashvili’s supporters have repeatedly protested and demanded to release him. A particularly crowded rally organized by the “United National Movement” (UNM) Party took place in Tbilisi on October 14. However, according to analysts, the Georgian opposition is not willing to see Mikhail Saakashvili as its leader.