Georgia and Ukraine have failed to reach an agreement on the fate of the currently jailed former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.
LThe situation got even worse after Volodímir Zelenski instruct the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon the Georgian ambassador to Ukraine and request his departure from the country within 48 hours for consultations in the Georgian capital.
Georgia warned that this was an “extreme form of escalation of diplomatic relations” between the two historically friendly countries.
The Georgian version is that the former president himself is to blame for having damaged his health.Say LeaveGeorgia’s Minister of Justice, told a press conference: “We know for sure that we act in accordance with universal human rights, especially in prisons, so any statement to this effect that we have heard is unacceptable. This is very heartbreaking. , especially considering the fact that Georgia stands by the Ukrainian nation in any crisis situation and especially in these times, the statement was very regrettable.”
Mikhail Saakashvili, currently a citizen with Ukrainian nationality, faces various charges in Georgia.
He was arrested in Tbilisi in October 2021, shortly after his return from Ukraine. After a long hunger strike, his state of health deteriorated. The former president appealed to the European Court of Human Rights to apply a precautionary measure that would allow him to be transferred abroad to receive treatment. The petition was rejected, but the examination of the case has reached Strasbourg.
His lawyer, Shota Tutberidze, explained: “We have been trying to facilitate the transfer of Mikhail Saakashvili abroad in order to treat him properly, one of the options was obviously Ukraine, this option is very realistic and there are no judicial obstacles – the only obstacle is fear. of the Georgian government and its political decision not to allow Saakashvili to leave prison in Georgia”.
Currently Ukraine does not have an ambassador in Georgia. The diplomat was withdrawn due to another dispute between the two countries: both have their territories occupied by Russia.
