Ukrainian Foreign Ministry demands Georgia transfer Saakashvili to Kiev

MOSCOW. Feb 2 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has issued a protest to Georgia over what it described as the inhumane treatment of Ukrainian citizen Mikheil Saakashvili and demanded that he be transferred to Kiev.

"The glaring violation of human rights with respect to the Ukrainian citizen runs counter to Tbilisi's declared course toward acquiring EU membership and indicates a rollback of democracy in Georgia," Ukrainian media quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying on Thursday.

"We are also urging foreign governments and international organizations to stand up publicly in defense of the Ukrainian citizen and former Georgian president," the ministry said.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky called on the Georgian leadership on Wednesday to free Ukrainian citizen Saakashvili.

As reported earlier, Saakashvili secretly arrived in Georgia on September 29, 2021, and was detained in Tbilisi on October 1, 2021. Shortly after that, he was put in jail in the city of Rustavi, where he declared a hunger strike. Later on, Saakashvili was transferred to a prison infirmary in Tbilisi and then to a military hospital in Gori, where he ended his hunger strike. On May 12, 2022, Saakashvili was admitted to the Vivamedi civilian clinic in Tbilisi, where he currently is staying.

Several criminal cases were opened against Saakashvili in Georgia. He called his detention unlawful and the charges brought against him falsified.

Georgian authorities have stated with reference to medical specialists that Saakashvili's health was not in danger.