22 December 2021, 11:26
Georgian oppositionists start mass hunger strike until Saakashvili is released
At a rally in Tbilisi, activists of the oppositional "United National Movement" (UNM) Party announced the start of a mass hunger strike, which they intend to continue until the release of the third Georgian president, Mikheil (Mikhail) Saakashvili.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in the afternoon on December 12, after visiting Mikhail Saakashvili at the Gori military hospital, doctors stated that he was in a consistently poor health condition and failed to receive the proper treatment.
Saakashvili returned to Georgia in late September and was arrested on October 1, as he had been sentenced in absentia in Georgia to imprisonment within two criminal cases. After his arrest, he held a 50-day-long hunger strike, which he stopped after achieving a transfer from prison and the prison hospital to a military one.
The start of the mass hunger strike to be held at the central office of the UNM, which was founded by Mikhail Saakashvili, was announced in the evening on December 21 at a protest action timed to Saakashvili's birthday. Several thousand protesters welcomed the decision of party leaders with cheers and applause.
Nika Meliya, the UNM leader, urged everyone to join the hunger strike, which the opposition intends not to stop until Saakashvili is at large. The hunger strike itself will be held at the party's office, so as not to spoil the New Year's holidays for children by occupying space in the central Rustaveli Avenue in front of the parliament building, where the country's main New Year tree is installed.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 22, 2021 at 01:10 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Inna Kukudzhanova Source: CK correspondent
