An image comparing the appearance of Mikheil Saakashvili in 2017 with the latest images of him appearing in court via a video link - Anatolii Stepanov/Reuters
Zelinsky accused the Georgian authorities of carrying out a "public execution" over Saakashvili
Baku/05.07.23/Turan: An image of former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili, revealing his emaciated body, has generated widespread concern regarding his health and treatment while in jail.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy addressed the issue in his nightly video message, stating that he would summon Georgia's ambassador to Ukraine to discuss what he referred to as the "public execution" of Saakashvili, who holds Ukrainian citizenship. Zelenskiy expressed his concern about Saakashvili's life being at risk, emphasizing that a person's life is of utmost value and that they cannot allow Saakashvili to be eliminated.
Saakashvili, who served as Georgia's president from 2004 to 2013, is currently serving a six-year sentence for abuse of power, a charge that he and his supporters claim is politically motivated. He is also facing separate charges related to the violent dispersal of an anti-government rally in November 2007.
On Monday, Saakashvili appeared via videolink from a Tbilisi clinic, where he is currently being held, while judges were deliberating at another location. He has requested to be transferred abroad for medical treatment and has staged multiple hunger strikes during his imprisonment. Saakashvili has also alleged that he has been poisoned.
Saakashvili acquired Ukrainian citizenship while working under previous Ukrainian governments. In 2021, he returned to Georgia ahead of local elections but was arrested shortly after entering the country.
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