Justice Minister says ex-President Saakashvili to be moved to prison when doctors recommend
Justice Minister says ex-President Saakashvili to be moved to prison when doctors recommend

Jailed ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili will be moved back to prison when doctors issue such a recommendation, said Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze.

In response to the statement of Levan Khabeishvili, the opposition United National Movement (UNM) party Chairman, saying the elections would not be fair without Mikheil Saakashvili’s participation, Rati Bregadze urged the UNM Chair to get better familiarized with the Georgian legislation, taking into account that Mikheil Saakashvili was a Ukrainian citizen and had no right to engage in political activities in Georgia.

“How should a prisoner engage in political activities, is a question of more a humour genre. This person does not have the right to political activity and political membership in Georgia, don’t forget. This person was a Chief Commander, and Chief Commanders do not go in service of another country; they do not leave their own country and citizenship because of another job in another country,” he said.

Speaking about the prisoner’s rights and conditions, the Minister said he could hardly imagine another prisoner enjoying such freedoms and rights as Mikheil Saakashvili, adding that the ex-president has had over 2 700 visitors and stressing Georgia was acquitted in a legal dispute Saakashvili vs Georgia.

According to Rati Bregadze, violations of Saakashvili’s human rights were “never confirmed.”

“These are subjective perceptions, and the law in this case speaks of something completely different, that Saakashvili’s rights are protected. It is hard to find a prisoner in any country whose rights are so thoroughly protected,” he said.