The shadow of himself.
Imprisoned Georgian opponent and ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili appeared on Thursday greatly weakened, his face emaciated, during a hearing in a Tbilisi court in which he participated by videoconference.
Dominating the crowds with his imposing stature, Mikheil Saakashvili appeared supported by a pillow resting on his back, his hands shaking and his hair, which he once had jet black, turned gray, according to images broadcast by television channels. Georgian.
Serious health problems
The 55-year-old ex-leader was taking part in a hearing which aims to decide whether or not he should be kept in detention, his supporters calling for him to be hospitalized abroad because of his serious health problems.
Mikheil Saakashvili is serving a six-year prison sentence for "
abuse of power
", a conviction which he contests and denounces as political.
Convicted in 2018 in absentia while living in exile, he was arrested upon his return to Georgia in October 2021.
On Thursday, a few dozen supporters of the former leader gathered outside the Tbilisi court, brandishing signs calling for "
saving the president
" and "
freeing Saakashvili
".
“
We demand that Mikheil Saakashvili be allowed to travel abroad to receive medical care, as recommended by doctors
,” his lawyer, Dito Sadzaglichvili, told AFP.
"
It's a matter of life and death
," he added.
Read alsoEx-Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili arrested on his return from exile
A charismatic and pro-Western leader, Mikheïl Saakacvhili led Georgia, the former Soviet republic of the Caucasus, from 2004 to 2013. He was notably in power during a war in the summer of 2008 with Russia which ended in a quick Georgian defeat.
Mikheil Saakashvili's health deteriorated sharply during his detention, in particular under the effect of several hunger strikes to protest against his imprisonment.
The authorities transferred him to the hospital, where he continues to serve his sentence.
Doctors worried
Doctors based in the United States, who examined Mikheil Saakashvili at the request of his lawyers, told AFP on Tuesday that he was suffering from complications due to his conditions of detention, and that his life was in danger.
One of these doctors, the American toxicologist David Smith, even affirmed that tests had revealed “
the presence of heavy metals
” in the body of the former head of state and that the symptoms he presents “
are the result of poisoning
”.
These doctors also considered it necessary to transfer the ex-president to a hospital abroad to undergo surgeries which, according to them, cannot be carried out in Georgia.
The United States and the European Union have repeatedly expressed their concern about Mikheil Saakashvili's state of health.
“political prisoner”
In October, the Council of Europe called for his release and said it considered him a “
political prisoner
”.
The NGO Amnesty International described the treatment of Mikheil Saakashvili as "
apparent political revenge
".
The Georgian authorities have assured that Mikheil Saakashvili received all the necessary care, President Salomé Zurabishvili declaring that it was up to justice to decide whether he should be released for health reasons.
During his exile, Mikheil Saakashvili notably lived in Ukraine, a country whose nationality he obtained and where he held political responsibilities.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the Georgian government to show "
compassion
".
“
What is happening to Mikheil today is cruel.
This has to stop
,” he said.
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