Saakashvili ends 50-day hunger strike

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has agreed to end a 50-day hunger strike in prison that had raised political tensions in the former Soviet republic and drawn expressions of concern from the United States. Saakashvili agreed to end his protest on Friday after authorities offered to move him to a military hospital from a prison hospital where an independent rights commissioner had said he was being abused by fellow inmates and not receiving appropriate medical treatment.

Ombudsman calls publication of video with Saakashvili humiliation of his dignity

The release of a video in which the prison staff treats Mikheil Saakashvili roughly violates his right to privacy and insults his honour and dignity, the Ombudsman of Georgia said.

On November 11, the Georgian Penitentiary Service released a video of the transfer of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to the prison hospital. The politician verbally insulted the employees of the service, according to the Georgian Minister of Justice.

After returning to Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili was arrested, was sentenced in absentia to three years in absentia in the case of abuse of power when pardoning those convicted of the murder of businessman Sandro Girgvliani. He was also sentenced in absentia for six years in the case of the 2005 beating of parliamentary deputy Valery Gelashvili. The former president was charged with illegal border crossing, and four alleged accomplices were arrested. He is also facing other charges. In addition, the prosecutor's office decided to interrogate the former president regarding the high-profile cartographer case.

On November 11, the Penitentiary Service of Georgia, with a difference of two hours, distributed two videos showing Mikheil Saakashvili. In the first recording, which is silent, shows how the prison officers pull Saakashvili out of the ambulance against his will and grabbing him by the arms and legs, carry him to the ward. Second video footage preceded these events. It was taken in an ambulance car when Saakashvili refused to get out of it, realising that he was not taken to the city hospital. The politician sat on a stretcher and refused to get out of the car, several prison officers tried to calm him down, but he angrily shouted: "I will not calm down," "I will not leave of my own free will, let lawyers and family come here. I will not take a single step with my feet! I will not do a single medical procedure of my own free will," Saakashvili said on the video. He also demanded to be taken back to the special prison in Rustavi. He addressed the guards in a disrespectful manner, insulted them, he also refused to greet them in response to their greeting.

Georgian Ombudsman Nino Lomjaria criticised the penitentiary service for releasing these videos, calling them a violation of Saakashvili's right to honour, dignity, and privacy. "The videos do not completely and non-stop contain the real incident, only a few incidents in the compilation, a half-naked and humiliating prisoner. Analysis of the video confirmed that the transfer of Mikheil Saakashvili to institution No. 118 was fraudulent and against his will, about which the public defender stated on November 8," the Ombudsman's statement said.

The EU is closely following the situation related to Mikheil Saakashvili and expresses regret over this situation, said Carl Hartzell, head of the EU Delegation to Georgia. "Now the most important thing is the issue of health and the mandatory implementation of all the recommendations of doctors. The second issue is the rights of Saakashvili as a prisoner. We heard the views of the Ombudsman and Saakashvili's story about his transfer to the prison hospital, saw footage from his case and all this raises questions," he said.

Saakashvili transferred to intensive care after losing consciousness

Mikheil Saakashvili fainted after meeting with lawyers in the prison hospital on the 49th day of the hunger strike. He has already woken up and is in intensive care, the prison doctor said.

In mid-November, a group of nine doctors was formed under the Georgian Ombudsman to monitor the state of health of former President Mikheil Saakashvili and assess the conditions of his stay in the prison hospital. After 48 days of hunger strike, Mikheil Saakashvili was diagnosed with several pathologies, his further hunger threatened with serious complications, said the doctors who examined the politician on November 17. They called for the urgent transfer of the former president of Georgia to a multidisciplinary clinic.

After meeting  with the lawyers, Mikheil Saakashvili lost consciousness and fell in the meeting room, said the representative of the third president, Bek Basilai. "At the end of the meeting, Saakashvili leaves the meeting room. Checking his condition, they opened his eyes with their hands. A few minutes after the fall, they brought a stretcher, put him on them and carried him away somewhere. I do not know where he was carried."

The prison resuscitator said that Saakashvili was in intensive care. "It was a short-term loss of consciousness. There was high blood pressure and unstable glycaemic indicators. He is in intensive care, and there is a resuscitator on duty. He is fully contactable," doctor stated.

Opposition MP goes on dry hunger strike after Saakashvili reports fainting

MP from the United National Movement Bachuki Kardava, who is on their sixth day of their hunger strike in support of Mikheil Saakashvili, refused to drink water after the third president of Georgia was in intensive care. Two councils of doctors and the head of the Georgian Ministry of Health concluded that Saakashvili needed treatment in a civilian clinic.

On November 14, nine opposition MPs announced a hunger strike in the Georgian parliamentary building, demanding that Mikheil Saakashvili be transferred to a civilian clinic. A hunger strike in the office of the United National Movement was also announced by a supporter of the former president, Gia Baramidze.

Mikheil Saakashvili went on a hunger strike on October 1 in a prison in Rustavi, demanding his release. On October 8, the Penitentiary Service reported on the transfer of Saakashvili to the Gldani prison hospital. A group of doctors in Tbilisi demanded that Saakashvili be transferred to a civilian clinic. With the same demand, on November 3, the leader of the opposition Droa (Time) party, Elene Khoshtaria, went on a hunger strike in the parliament building. On the tenth day of her hunger strike, Khoshtaria agreed to take medicine due to her deteriorating health. On the 49th day of the hunger strike, Mikheil Saakashvili fainted after meeting with lawyers. He has already come to his senses and is in intensive care, the prison doctor said.

The leader of the ruling party "Georgian Dream - Democratic Movement," MP Irakli Kobakhidze blamed Mikheil Saakashvili for the rally.

"Saakashvili is responsible for the health and life of people who are now starving. He can end the hunger strike," he said.