EU Parliament urges Georgia to pardon and release ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili

EU Parliament MEPs urged Georgia to pardon and release ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, stating the way he is being treated is a “litmus test of the Georgian government’s commitment to European values.”

In a statement from EU Parliament, MEPS “expressed grave concerns about the deteriorating health of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who has been detained in his home country since October 2021.”

It added: “While noting reports of his dramatic weight loss and suggestions that he might have suffered from heavy metal poisoning while in detention, MEPs call on the Georgian authorities to release Mr Saakashvili and allow him to receive proper medical treatment abroad.

“They urge current President Salome Zourabichvili to use her constitutional right to pardon him. This would also reduce the political polarisation in the country.”

MEPs stressed that “the country’s progress with European reforms must be put back on the centre stage of politics.”

“They also consider that the way prisoners are treated in the country, such as the ex-President, is a litmus test for the Georgian government’s commitment to European values and its declared European aspirations, including EU candidate status, which has so far not been granted to Georgia.”

MEPs added that “the Georgian authorities have a responsibility to ensure the health and well-being of Mr Saakashvili, to provide him with adequate medical treatment and to respect his fundamental rights and personal dignity, in line with the country’s constitution and international commitment.”

EU Parliament added: “Moreover, the resolution underlines the fundamental role that oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili has played in Mr Saakashvili’s ongoing detention “as part of a personal vendetta”.

“Therefore, Parliament reiterates its call on the Council and democratic partners to consider imposing sanctions on Mr Ivanishvili for his role in ‘the deterioration of the political process in Georgia’.”