On November 30, Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria said that she discussed the health situation of former President Mikheil Saakashvili with President Salome Zourabichvili.

According to her, Salome Zourabichvili was informed of her opinion of Mikheil Saakashvili when she visited the former president at Vivamedi. The Public Defender said, "It is fine if foreign physicians are let in," in response to Rati Bregadze, Minister of Justice, who stated that the state offers Mikheil Saakashvili to bring any doctor from any international clinic and include them in the treatment process.

"According to the legislation of Georgia, when the prisoner's health condition does not improve and cannot be improved under the prison conditions or is incompatible with the prison conditions, in this case, the court decides to release them or postpone the sentence. Accordingly, regarding the other alternatives discussed yesterday, I do not know which legal forms they fit. It is good if foreign doctors are allowed, it is not bad, but legally this is the way. In such a case, the court considers these two issues. Accordingly, it will be a release from the sentence or a postponement; in both cases, the prisoner can decide for themselves. It is up to them to decide if s/he will continue treatment in Georgia or abroad," she said.

"Before we talk about slanderous statements or wrong diagnoses, I think we should wait for the results of the conclusion. I know that studies are being conducted, and the results of these expert studies are almost in their final stages. I would refrain from making assessments of a specific diagnosis because I am waiting for the results of this examination and the analysis results. I think all this should be presented to the court, and the court should discuss the appropriate procedure," Lomjaria emphasized.

"As for his health condition, I have mentioned many times that I am not a doctor and cannot make a specific diagnosis, but I have personally seen a patient in a very serious condition. In such a situation, I could not imagine that the situation would be so difficult. I did not expect that Mikheil Saakashvili would be so physically weakened. The doctors themselves admit on the spot that his dynamics in the neurological direction, or other directions, are negative, that is, there is no improvement," said Lomjaria.

"I am waiting for the medical report. We have not yet received this report; however, the Public Defender has the option, if we consider that there is a real reason for the postponement of the sentence or exemption from the sentence due to the health condition, we can apply to the relevant agencies with the opinion of a friend of the court or recommendation. We have done this in similar cases, and we do not rule out that we will do so if necessary. Today, at this moment, I do not have solid legal expert grounds to prepare such a conclusion because the expert's report has not been published yet," Lomjaria stressed.

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