Georgia: Imprisoned former President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, has been transferred from the No. 12 Jail in the city of Rustavi to the civilian clinic Vivamedi in the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi, following an offer for the transfer from the Justice Ministry made after requests on the matter from Saakashvili’s medical team and members of a part of political opposition.
According to a local news website, Saakashvili was moved to the facility on Thursday, with Special Penitentiary Service teams spotted mobilising outside the clinic and the area demarcated by security.
The move follows the Ministry’s proposal to move the politician to the clinic for medical examinations and treatment, voiced by Minister Rati Bregadze after the Government meeting on Tuesday.
It also comes after recent assertions by Saakashvili’s medical team and allies that his health was deteriorating in custody and that he was receiving poor care – denied by authorities.
In response to accusations by Saakashvili’s supporters requesting his relocation for treatment overseas, the Ministry has expressed “complete trust” in “medical institutions licenced in Georgia and their medical staff.”
Saakashvili, who currently holds Ukrainian citizenship, is serving a term for abuse of authority emanating from his tenure as President. He was apprehended after returning to Georgia in secret in October of last year, just before the 2021 local elections.
