A Georgian court on Monday rejected an appeal to release former President Mikheil Saakashvili on health grounds.
Saakashvili, who served as Georgia’s president in 2004-13 and led the so-called Rose Revolution protests that ousted the previous president from office, left for Ukraine following the end of his second term. He was subsequently convicted in absentia of abuse of power and sentenced to six years in prison.
He was arrested in October 2021 after returning to Georgia to try to strengthen opposition forces ahead of the national municipal elections.
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He went on hunger strike after his arrest and is currently hospitalized in a private clinic. His supporters say he should be released for a medical examination outside Georgia over concerns that he is suffering from heavy metal poisoning.
They cite doctors’ assessments that he appears to have developed dementia. However, other doctors and Georgian authorities say Saakashvili engaged in self-harm and disobeyed doctors.