The Time for Action is Now: Protecting Mikheil Saakashvili's Rights

Mikheil Saakashvili, the former president of Georgia, appeared gaunt and severely emaciated in a video link court hearing for an abuse-of-power case against him. His supporters claim he has been poisoned while in prison and that his weight dropped to just 60kg (132 lbs), half of what it was when he was arrested in October 2021. Via video link from a private clinic where he was being held, he told the court on Monday that despite his poor health, he was “spiritually fit and determined to serve the country”, according to local news site Agenda. He lifted his shirt to show his ribs protruding from his chest, a hollow abdomen and skin clinging tightly to his bones. Saakashvili, 55, served as Georgia’s president from 2004-13 and led the so-called Rose Revolution protests that drove the previous president out of office. After his second term ended in 2013, he left for Ukraine and was granted citizenship.

He was the governor of the Odesa region in 2015-16. Following his departure, Saakashvili was convicted in absentia for abuse of power and sentenced to six years in prison, which he protested with a 50-day hunger strike. In October 2021, Saakashvili was arrested after returning to Georgia to try to bolster opposition forces before nationwide municipal elections.He is now on trial on charges of “abuse of office” connected to the violent dispersal of an opposition rally in 2007. Doctors have said Saakashvili risks dying from conditions he developed while in custody, though Georgia authorities say he is being given adequate medical care. His brother, David Saakashvili, says the ex-president is continuing to lose weight, is at risk of dying and may have been poisoned. He also claims that Saakashvili is not receiving proper medical treatment. The European Union and United States have urged Georgia to ensure Saakashvili is provided medical treatment and that his rights are protected. Amnesty International has labeled his treatment as “apparent political revenge”.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called for Saakashvili to be transferred to Ukraine for medical treatment and has accused Moscow of being behind the former leader’s poor treatment in prison. Georgia is no stranger to political oppression. In 2008, it lost a brief war against Russia, including control of its breakaway territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. But now, it faces criticism from its Western allies over its apparent mistreatment of Saakashvili. The EU and US have expressed their concern and Ukraine has offered to help. The international community must ensure that Saakashvili is given proper medical care and his rights are protected. It should stand firm on the basic European value that life is to be respected and protected, and not used as a tool for political revenge. The time for action is now. If the Georgian authorities fail to protect Saakashvili’s rights, it could set a dangerous precedent with far-reaching consequences for human rights across the continent. Keywords: Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgia, Abuse-of-Power, Political Revenge, Human Rights Abuse, European Values