Lawyers treat influence of US forensic experts on Saakashvili's case as minimal

The defence of former Georgian President, Mikheil (Mikhail) Saakashvili, is promoting a strategy aimed at taking him abroad for his medical treatment, but Georgian authorities would not allow them to do so, the Georgian lawyers interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" believe.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that supporters of former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili demanded to transfer him to a foreign clinic for treatment after on April 27, doctors announced that the politician’s health was deteriorating. On May 12, Mikhail Saakashvili was transferred from the Rustavi prison for medical examination to the “Vivamed” clinic in Tbilisi. On May 14, the Georgian authorities ruled out the transfer of Mikhail Saakashvili for medical treatment abroad. On July 18 it became known that Saakashvili's relatives managed to attract American forensic experts to his case.

Dito Nozaidze, a lawyer, believes that the strategy of Saakashvili's advocates is to take him abroad for treatment.

In order to let Saakashvili for treatment abroad, his defence must provide, firstly, the proofs that the healthcare conditions in Georgia are insufficient for improving his health, and, secondly, that there is a medical facility abroad that meets the requirements, Mr Nozaidze has explained.

Although Saakashvili's family succeeded in attracting US forensic experts, the judge will play the key role in deciding the case, Zaza Khatiashvili, the chairman of the Georgian Bar Association, has noted.

In his opinion, a court in Georgia is unlikely to release Saakashvili. "He himself is to blame for falling under the control of this system. During his reign, he built a repressive law enforcement system that cracked down on three percent of the lawyer corps – more than 150 Georgian lawyers were in jail. And the current authorities turned out to be no better – they took over this system for repressing their political opponents. Therefore, I don't believe that when making a political decision to release Saakashvili, at least one judge in Georgia will dare do it without a direct permit of Bidzina Ivanishvili," Mr Khatiashvili has stated.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 21, 2022 at 09:37 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.