FOURTH GEORGIAN PRESIDENT GIORGI MARGVELASHVILI LEADS COALITION EFFORT TO SAVE FORMER PRESIDENT SAAKASHVILI'S LIFE

Former Political Leaders Sign Petition Urging President Saakashvili's Transfer to a Western Medical Facility and to Hold the Ruling Georgian Dream Party Accountable

TBILISI, Georgia, Feb. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Amid growing international concerns regarding the rapidly deteriorating health of Former President Saakashvili from possible heavy metal poisoning and torture, and emphasizing the responsibility of the current ruling Georgian Dream Party for his well-being and medical care, Georgia's Fourth President Giorgi Margvelashvili, together with over 150 former and current politicians and thought leaders have issued the following statement:  

"We are deeply concerned to see how the health of Mikheil Saakashvili, the third President of Georgia, who led Georgia in 2004-2013, is deteriorating as a result of inhuman and degrading treatment and possible poisoning with heavy metals in the Georgian prison, leading to various life-threatening diagnoses. As the evaluations of the medical council created by the Public Defender of Georgia and the independent group of American medical experts unmistakably confirm, President Saakashvili's life cannot be preserved in Georgia and the process will end with his death by inhuman treatment."

"We have seen a number of credible reports that he has been a victim of severe human rights abuses, and misuse of the justice system. However, we are not arguing here, whether Mr. Saakashvili is lawfully imprisoned or not. Whatever the background, he is on the verge of dying and we know one thing for sure - the death penalty, and inhuman treatment of the patient is prohibited by European law and by the Georgian constitution. If anything is to happen to President Saakashvili, the responsibility for violating his health, dignity and life, will be solely with Georgia's current government."

"President Saakashvili's death by inhuman treatment in a Georgian prison cell will have extremely harmful internal and external political consequences for Georgia, and will deepen the current polarization in the country. We cannot accept such a fatal outcome. We cannot remain silent, simply letting President Saakashvili die in prison. President Saakashvili should immediately be sent abroad for treatment."

Signatories on the petition include:

Giorgi Margvelashvili, President of Georgia, 2013-2018

Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Co-Chair NGIC, President of Latvia 1999-2007

Hikmet Çetin, Speaker of the Grand National Parliament 1997-1999, deputy Prime Minister 1995, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey 1991-1994

Maria Fernanda Espinosa, 73rd President of the UN General Assembly

Jan Fischer, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic 2009-2010

Walter Fust, Director-General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation 1993-2008

Chiril Gaburici, Prime Minister of Moldova 2015

Mladen Ivanic, President of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2014-2018

Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President of Estonia 2006-2016

Ivo Josipovic, President of Croatia 2010-2015

Jadranka Kosor, Prime Minister of Croatia 2009-2011

Aleksander Kwasniewski, President of Poland 1995-2005

Yves Leterme, Prime Minister of Belgium 2008, 2009-2011

Zlatko Lagumdzija, Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2001-2002, deputy Prime Minister 1993-1996, 2012-2015

Igor Luksic, Prime Minister of Montenegro 2010-2012

Giuli Alasania, President University of Georgia, mother of President Mikheil Saakashvili

Rosen Plevneliev, President of Bulgaria 2012-2017

Petre Roman, Prime Minister of Romania 1989-1991, Speaker of the Parliament 1996-1999

Laimdota Straujuma, Prime Minister of Latvia 2014-2016

Petar Stoyanov, President of Bulgaria 1997-2002

Ismail Serageldin, Co-Chair NGIC, Vice-President of the World Bank 1992-2000

Hedva Ser, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO

Boris Tadic, President of Serbia 2004-2012

Eka Tkeshelashvili, deputy Prime Minister of Georgia 2010-2012

Filip Vujanovic, President of Montenegro 2003-2018

Raimonds Vejonis, President of Latvia 2015-2019

Kateryna Yushchenko, First Lady of Ukraine 2005-2010

Viktor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine 2005-2010, Prime Minister 1999-2001

Valdis Zatlers, President of Latvia 2007-2011

Rovshan Muradov, Secretary-General Nizami Ganjavi International Center

This material is distributed by GP International (DBA GlobalPoint International) for Giulia Alasania on behalf of Mikheil Saakashvili. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, DC.