Parliament Speaker says prison service will act on medical advice; politicising Elene Khoshtaria’s health helps no one

“The Penitentiary Service will act in strict accordance with whatever decisions the doctors make regarding Elene Khoshtaria. Excessive politicisation will achieve nothing for anyone,” the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili, has stated.

Papuashvili was questioned regarding the health status of Elene Khoshtaria, the leader of the Droa party.

“I believe the entire process is being conducted with the utmost transparency, as far as is possible when dealing with personal and private medical data. We can see that the Penitentiary Service is fully engaged. Khoshtaria’s personal doctors are also permitted to visit her alongside the facility’s own medical staff.

The Penitentiary Service will act on whatever decisions the medical professionals reach. Over-politicising this issue serves no one’s interests, and it never has. Therefore, if anyone is genuinely concerned about Elene Khoshtaria’s health, the most important thing is to follow the medical data and the guidance of the doctors. The state guarantees free medical care and healthcare provision for every single inmate. Just as with any other prisoner, the state will fully ensure the provision of free medical assistance in this case,” Papuashvili declared.