Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded that former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili, who is currently in jail on abuse of office charges, be sent to Ukraine for urgent medical care. Zelensky made the claim without evidence, accusing Moscow, via the government of Georgia, of “killing” Saakashvili after a video emerged of him looking emaciated. Moscow has not commented on the allegations, but has previously dismissed any involvement with Saakashvili as “the theater of the absurd.”
Saakashvili, in an op-ed in Politico, stated that he is “dying” and has been “systematically tortured, physically and psychologically.” He also claimed evidence of heavy metal poisoning in his body and blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for his current situation. However, Tbilisi has stated that Saakashvili is receiving medical care and is not a political prisoner.
The reasons behind Zelensky’s increased accusations and demands for Saakashvili’s transfer are unclear. Georgia has close ties with Moscow, but its people have protested against growing authoritarianism in their country and in solidarity with Ukraine. Saakashvili, who served as Georgia’s president from 2004 to 2013, had aspirations for the country to join the European Union and NATO. He became a Ukrainian citizen in 2015 but was stripped of his citizenship in 2017 before it was restored by Zelensky in 2019.
Saakashvili was convicted in absentia in 2018 for abuse of power while in office. He denies the charges, which he claims are politically motivated. His health has deteriorated while in jail, with reports of hunger strikes and symptoms consistent with heavy metal poisoning. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have accused Georgia’s government of denying him adequate medical care.
Zelensky has called for Saakashvili’s immediate transfer to Kyiv and blamed the Kremlin for his deteriorating health. He has called on European governments to intervene and for Tbilisi to transfer Saakashvili to Ukraine for necessary treatment. Former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul has also called for Saakashvili’s release on health grounds.
Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili has expressed regret for the deterioration of diplomatic relations with Ukraine and stated that any issue dividing the two countries should be avoided. The foreign ministries of Georgia and Russia have not yet responded to the situation.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has demanded that former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili, who is currently in jail on abuse of office charges, be sent to Ukraine for urgent medical care. Zelensky made these claims without evidence, alleging that Moscow, through the government of Georgia, was “killing” Saakashvili. This comes after a video emerged showing Saakashvili looking emaciated. Moscow has not commented on these recent allegations but has previously dismissed any involvement with Saakashvili as “the theater of the absurd.”
Saakashvili, in an op-ed in Politico, stated that he is now “dying” and has been subjected to physical and psychological torture while in confinement. He also claimed evidence of heavy metal poisoning in his body. Although he did not provide specific details, he obliquely blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for his current situation. It remains unclear why Zelensky is escalating these accusations now.
Mikheil Saakashvili, 55, served as Georgia’s president from 2004 to 2013. He came to power through the Rose Revolution, a pro-democratic movement that ousted the president at the time. Saakashvili had aspirations for Georgia to join the European Union and NATO and had a strained relationship with Putin following a brief war with Russia in 2008.
Saakashvili moved abroad in 2013 and became a Ukrainian citizen in 2015. He briefly served as the governor of the Odessa region in Ukraine before being stripped of his citizenship in 2017. Zelensky restored his citizenship in 2019 and appointed him to head an advisory board fighting the power of oligarchs in Ukraine.
Saakashvili was convicted in 2018 in absentia for abuse of power while in office. He denies the charges, which he believes are politically motivated. He was arrested in October 2021 after returning to Georgia to support local elections. Human Rights Watch has criticized the trial, stating that it occurred outside of international legal standards.
There have been concerns about Saakashvili’s health while in jail. He has gone on hunger strikes, and there are allegations of heavy metal poisoning. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch accused Georgia’s government of denying him adequate medical care, putting his life at risk. Saakashvili’s appearance during a recent court appearance via videoconference showed him looking gaunt.
Following the court video, Zelensky called for Saakashvili to be immediately transferred to Kyiv. He blamed the Kremlin for what he called Saakashvili’s “demonstrative execution” and called on European governments to intervene. Zelensky also instructed Ukraine’s foreign minister to summon Georgia’s ambassador to express their protest.
Former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul has called for Saakashvili’s release on health grounds and for the Biden administration to put more pressure on Georgia. Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili expressed regret for the deterioration of diplomatic relations with Ukraine and emphasized the need to handle Saakashvili’s issue with respect for his rights.
The situation surrounding Saakashvili’s health and his transfer to Ukraine remains uncertain. The allegations made by Zelensky without evidence have raised concerns about the politicization of the issue and its potential impact on diplomatic relations between Georgia and Ukraine.
How might Saakashvili’s aspirations for Georgia to join the EU and NATO have influenced the allegations and motivations behind his imprisonment
Ship in 2017 over allegations of lying on his citizenship application. However, Zelensky restored his citizenship in 2019.
In 2018, Saakashvili was convicted in absentia for abuse of power while in office. He denies the charges, claiming they are politically motivated. During his time in jail, his health has deteriorated, and there have been reports of hunger strikes and symptoms consistent with heavy metal poisoning. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have accused Georgia’s government of denying him adequate medical care.
Zelensky has now called for Saakashvili’s immediate transfer to Kyiv for medical treatment and has blamed the Kremlin for his deteriorating health. He has asked European governments to intervene and for Tbilisi to transfer Saakashvili to Ukraine. Former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul has also called for Saakashvili’s release on health grounds.
Georgia’s President Salome Zourabichvili has expressed regret for the deterioration of diplomatic relations with Ukraine and stated that divisive issues should be avoided. The foreign ministries of Georgia and Russia have not yet responded to the situation.
The reasons behind Zelensky’s increased accusations and demands for Saakashvili’s transfer remain unclear. While Georgia has close ties with Moscow, its people have protested against growing authoritarianism in their country and have shown solidarity with Ukraine. It is also worth noting that Saakashvili’s aspirations for Georgia to join the EU and NATO may have not been in Moscow’s interests.
The situation surrounding Saakashvili’s health and imprisonment is complex and involves various political actors. Without further evidence or responses from relevant parties, it is challenging to determine the true extent of the allegations and motivations behind them.
