Jailed Saakashvili Agrees To Hospitalization After 20 Days Of Hunger Strike

TBILISI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th October, 2021) Jailed former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who has been on hunger strike for 20 days, has said that he is ready to receive medical assistance in order to "maintain sanity."

On Tuesday, Saakashvili attended a medical panel established by the decree of the Health Ministry. Later on the same day, the panel met with the representatives of the Ministry of Justice and recommended preventive hospitalization for the politician.

"While I am in prison, I will not receive food in any form and I am even ready to die. At the same time, I want to maintain my sanity and ability to work.

Therefore, I agree to the medical intervention of the doctors who will help me to stay conscious and participate in the current events, even to a limited extent, so that I can help Georgia as long as I can," Saakashvili said in a statement that was read out by his lawyer Dmitry Sadzaglishvili.

Saakashvili, who fled Georgia in 2013, was arrested on October 1 after returning to his home country, where he is facing several criminal charges. Saakashvili's return came shortly before the municipal polls in Georgia. After his arrest, Saakashvili declared a hunger strike as he considers himself a political prisoner.