Saakashvili's lawyers forward application to postpone imprisonment to ECHR

TBILISI. April 11 (Interfax) - Lawyers for former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili have forwarded an application to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) appealing the rulings by Georgian courts to deny the defense's motion on postponing Saakashvili's imprisonment and sending him abroad to receive medical treatment, the Georgian opposition TV channel Mtavari Arkhi said on Tuesday.

Lawyer Shota Tutberidze declined to comment on the details of the application, saying only that Saakashvili's state of health is extremely serious, which should provide grounds for the court to hear the motion in an expedited fashion.

"The application was forwarded on Monday. In it, Mikheil Saakashvili asks the court in Strasbourg to protect his rights and postpone his imprisonment due to serious health issues," he said.

Saakashvili secretly arrived in Georgia on September 29, 2021, and was detained in Tbilisi on October 1. Shortly afterwards, he ended up 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 Rustavi prison to a 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 has called his detention unlawful and says the charges brought against him are falsified.