Verkhovna Rada Human Rights Commissioner Liudmyla Denisova considers the transfer of the head of the Executive Committee of the National Reform Council Mikheil Saakashvili from a military hospital in the city of Gori to a Rustavi prison as torture and a way of depriving him of the right to life.
She wrote about this in her Telegram channel, Ukrainian News Agency reports.
“I am outraged by the news of the transfer of a citizen of Ukraine, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the National Council of Reforms under the President of Ukraine, Mikheil Saakashvili, from a military hospital in Gori to a Rustavi prison. The cynicism of how this was done is striking. Sick Mikheil was taken out against his will at night without warning the lawyers," Denisova wrote.
She also noted that his state of health is critical and causes concern: after three hypertensive crises he feels extremely bad, several days before that he did not get out of bed.
The necessary medical assistance was never provided to him in full, a new doctor was not appointed, and the decision on the treatment strategy was made by doctors of different profiles.
Moving Saakashvili in this state back to the penitentiary is in violation of Article 22 of the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, the provision of which obliges sick prisoners in need of specialist services to be transferred to special institutions or to civilian hospitals.
Failure to provide medical care is contrary to the guaranteed norms of Article 3 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
“I regard such actions of the Georgian authorities as torture and a method of depriving Ukrainian citizen Mikheil Saakashvili of the right to life, which is a violation of Articles 6, 7, 9, 14, 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by Georgia in 2002. I appeal to the Georgia's Public Defender Nino Lomjaria to visit Mikheil Saakashvili in the penitentiary of Rustavi in order to check the observance of his rights and freedoms, including when taking him out of the hospital," Denisova said.
She also asked the Ambassador of Ukraine to Georgia to ensure the provision of consular assistance to Saakashvili.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on December 28, the Foreign Ministry called on the Georgian authorities to treat Saakashvili with respect.
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