Penitentiary Service sees Saakashvili's transfer to court as risky
Penitentiary Service sees Saakashvili's transfer to court as risky

Mikheil Saakashvili’s transfer to court from prison hospital poses a risk for his health as he halted much of his treatment, the Special Penitentiary Service said on Monday.

However, the Penitentiary Service pledges to ensure the ex-president’s virtual involvement in the trial or offers trial to be held in the N18 Gldani prison hospital.

It also said Saakashvili’s transfer to the courtroom could trigger chaos as State Security Service revealed that the opposition planned to thwart the ex-president’s transfer to the jail by destructive actions when around 500-600 cars would have blocked the driveway leading to the jail entrance. “Same could unfold during Saakashvili’s transfer to the court”.

Georgia’s ex-president is standing trial on exceeding official authority in a series of events, including the November 7, 2007 police raid on Imedi TV and violent dispersal of an anti-government rally the same day.

Ten opposition MPs have been on a hunger strike, demanding Saakashvili’s transfer to the civil hospital. Saakashvili-founded United National Movement (UNM) plans to block the traffic on both banks of Mtkvari River in Tbilisi today from 3 pm to 5 pm.

Law enforcers arrested Mikheil Saakashvili in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi on October 1. He is on the 46th day of his hunger strike.

The ex-president has been charged with several criminal offences. In 2018, he was sentenced to six years in prison in absentia for abuse of power.