9 MPs Announce Hunger Strike in Support of Saakashvili
By Nika Gamtsemlidze
Monday, November 15
Nine United National Movement deputies announced that they are going on a hunger strike in support of Georgia's third president, Mikheil Saakashvili. The MPs demanded Saakashvili's immediate transfer to a private hospital due to the worsening health situation of the ex-president.
Among the MPs who announced hunger strikes are Akaki Minashvili, Temur Janashia, Bachuki Kardava, Nika Matchutadze, Giorgi Godabrelidze, Sulkhan Sibashvili, Levan Bejashvili, Abdula Ismailova, and Davit Kirkitadze.
“From today, we are going on a hunger strike and will continue until Mikheil Saakashvili is taken to a multi-profile clinic until his health and life are no longer in danger,” said Kirkitadze.
Another MP, Elene Khoshtaria, has been on a hunger strike for 14 days. Yesterday, two Georgian doctors working in the US stated Saakashvili's health and called on Georgian authorities to transfer the ex-president to a civilian hospital.
Nana Gegechkori and Zura Guruli said that according to Saakashvili's symptoms, there is a risk of his imminent death. They applied to the Ministry of Health to transfer the ex-president to a civilian clinic.
Also, on Saturday, the personal doctor of Saakashvili, Nikoloz Kipshidze, said that Saakashvili's situation has worsened drastically. He said that Saturday was the first day when Saakashvili was unable to get out of bed.
“Today is the first day that the president has not gotten out of bed. He has a very severe weakness and is lying in bed. I visited the cell because the president could not come downstairs,” said Kipshidze.
Paata Burchuladze also announced his hunger strike. Like others, he also demands transfer to a civilian hospital. Burchuladze addressed his colleagues and representatives of culture and encouraged them to join him.
Mikheil Saakashvili has been on a hunger strike for 46 days already. The ex-president and his lawyers are requesting to be transferred to a civilian clinic, but the government refuses - instead of a civilian clinic, he was transferred to the Gldani Prison Medical Facility, where he was transferred against his will. Saakashvili refuses to receive any treatment there.
Following the statement of the European Court of Human Rights and its ruling, the ex-president announced that he would end the hunger strike if transferred to the clinic. In response to this, the Minister of Justice said that he would be happy if Saakashvili stopped the hunger strike, but without any terms.
