The level of toxic substances in the body of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili does not exceed the norm, Malkhaz Urtkmelidze, the head of the medical department of the special penitentiary service of the Georgian Justice Ministry, said on Wednesday.
TBILISI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st December, 2022) The level of toxic substances in the body of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili does not exceed the norm, Malkhaz Urtkmelidze, the head of the medical department of the special penitentiary service of the Georgian Justice Ministry, said on Wednesday.
Saakashvili is undergoing treatment at a clinic in Tbilisi after a long hunger strike in prison. He was transferred there in May this year. Earlier, Georgian doctors at the ombudsman's office and foreign experts examined the politician's health. In November, they reported that Saakashvili had an elevated content of heavy metals in his body, which indicates possible poisoning.
"I repeat with all responsibility, according to the information provided by them (the lawyers and doctors) and the data specified by us, none of the indicators exceeds the norm and they are significantly lower than the norm. No poisoning is confirmed even by their own documents," Urtkmelidze told reporters.
The former president was put in jail on October 1 last year, shortly after returning to Georgia, where he was wanted on several charges, including abuse of power, stealing public money, and ordering a crackdown on a peaceful rally. He is serving a six-year sentence. Saakashvili's doctors and supporters say his health has deteriorated dramatically since he went on hunger strikes during his detention.
Saakashvili was the president of Georgia for two consecutive terms from 2004 to 2013 and was barred from seeking a third term under the Georgian constitution. Shortly after the end of his term, Saakashvili left the country. He actively supported Ukraine's Euromaidan in 2014 and 2015 and was appointed governor of Ukraine's Odesa region after acquiring Ukrainian citizenship.
