A team of doctors from the USA examined him and determined that his life is in danger – Suspected of poisoning inside the prison
US and EU concerns have intensified over the health of jailed former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili after his final appearance today – via video conference – at a hearing to decide whether he should remain in prison or not as he faces health problems.
The once burly and muscular Saakashvili – noted for his imposing stature – appeared very emaciated, had a pillow propped up on his back, his hands were shaking and his once black hair had turned grey.
#Saakashvili is unrecognizable. Shocking images from the court hearing today..
Georgian Dream government is murdering the former president, this is the reality! #Georgia #SaveMisha pic.twitter.com/8IiZ7CBTxj
— Giorgi Tabagari (@Tabagari) December 22, 2022
The 55-year-old former leader of Georgia is serving a six-year prison sentence for “abuse of power,” a decision he disputes and denounces as politics. He was sentenced in 2018 in absentia as he was in self-imposed exile and was arrested upon his return to Georgia in October 2021.
Mikhail Saakashvili remotely connected to the court session#saakashvili #georgia #saakashvili pic.twitter.com/VBPEoTN4j0
— Ðхо Кавказа (@ekhokavkaza) December 22, 2022
Head of Georgia from 2004 to 2013, Mikheil Saakashvili, a charismatic and pro-Western leader, was president during a summer 2008 war with Russia that ended in his country’s short-lived defeat.
His health deteriorated rapidly during his detention, mainly due to the many hunger strikes he went on to protest his imprisonment. Authorities took him to the hospital, where he continues to serve his sentence.
In fact, Ukrainian President Zelensky offered to welcome Saakashvili to Ukraine to be treated in a clinic in Kivu or in Europe
#Zelenskyy called on #Georgia to transfer former President Mikhail #Saakashvili to a clinic in #Ukraine or Europe. pic.twitter.com/CCn7dEZm4g
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) December 20, 2022
“His life is in danger”
A team of US doctors who examined him at the request of his lawyers told AFP on Tuesday that Saakashvili was suffering complications from his detention conditions and that his life was in danger.
American toxicologist David Smith confirmed that tests revealed “the presence of heavy metals” in the former president’s body and that the symptoms he is experiencing “are the result of heavy metal poisoning.”
The same doctors also deemed it necessary to transfer the former president to a hospital abroad to undergo surgeries that, according to them, cannot be performed in Georgia.
The United States and the European Union have repeatedly expressed concern about his state of health. The Georgian authorities, for their part, maintain that Saakashvili is receiving the medical services he needs.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
