EU delivered formal demarche to Georgia over state of Saakashvili's health

TBILISI. Feb 28 (Interfax) - The head of the European Union Delegation to Georgia Paweł Herczyński on Monday met the country's Justice Minister Rati Bregadze to deliver a formal EU demarche over the health condition of the imprisoned former president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili.

Herczyński said that he and Swedish Ambassador Ulrik Tidestrom, representing his country presiding in the EU, together handed over an official demarche to the minister, regarding the ex-president and expressing a concern about his health deteriorating.

Crucially, the demarche had been agreed by all 27 EU members states, Herczyński said after what he described as a frank and open conversation with the minister.

The latter, in turn, informed the diplomats on what the government is doing to protect Saakashvili's rights as an accused and prisoner.

Saakashvili secretly arrived in Georgia on September 29, 2021, and was detained in Tbilisi on October 1. Shortly after that, he found himself in a prison in the city of Rustavi, where he went on a hunger strike. On November 8, 2021, without the consent of his relatives or lawyers, Saakashvili was transferred from the Rustavi prison to the prison infirmary in Tbilisi's Gldani neighborhood. On November 20, 2021, Saakashvili was transferred to a military hospital in Gori. He was then transferred to the Vivamedi civilian clinic in Tbilisi on May 12, where he is currently staying.

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