Justice Minister: Saakashvili ‘Obstructing’ Activities of Doctors, Court

Justice Minister Rati Bregadze spoke to Rustavi 2 yesterday and claimed that imprisoned ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili – whose ailing health has sparked increased concerns – is obstructing the activities of doctors and “specifically obstructing the activities of the Court.”

To that end, the Justice Minister claimed that Saakashvili is involved in “certain simulations” and that there is “corresponding evidence of this.”

Minister Bregadze underscored that “if these simulations don’t stop, the purpose of which is to pressure the Court to obtain freedom [for Saakashvili] without legal grounds and to thereby carry out an act prohibited by the constitution, we will be forced to release certain footage based on this legitimate purpose.”

Saakashvili has been receiving treatment at Vivamedi Clinic, which was designated by the Justice Ministry, since May 12, 2022. Since then, his health condition has steadily deteriorated, finally leading his lawyers to appeal to the Court to suspend his sentence at the beginning of December 2022. The next hearing on that matter is scheduled today, with the ex-President expected to attend online. 

• 02/12/2022 – Saakashvili’s Lawyers Appeal for Suspended Sentence

Significantly, several reports about the ex-President’s health by both Georgian and international experts and physicians have confirmed that Saakashvili is suffering from more than a dozen diagnoses/symptoms.

In the latest, the group of experts created by the Public Defender to monitor Saakashvili’s health released their conclusions on 6 December, showing that there is a worsening of Saakashvili’s neurological status, anemia, anorexia, and gastrointestinal developments. They also noted sharp and rapid weight loss, deterioration of muscle mass, as well as cachexia, which is associated with the advanced stages of an illness. According to them, Saakashvili has undergone all laboratory and relevant avenues for treatment which are available in Georgia with his condition continuing to rapidly deteriorate despite such efforts.

Notably, at that time, Minister Bregadze claimed that Saakashvili’s teammates are trying to “manipulate” his health condition and “politicize” the issue. The Minister also stated that Saakashvili was acting in “self-harm mode” and “does not comply with the course of treatment that is selected directly by the doctors.”

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