Khoshtaria's Lawyer Says Her Health Deteriorating in Prison, Penitentiary Service Denies Claims
By Messenger Staff
Friday, June 19, 2026
The defense lawyer of imprisoned opposition leader Elene Khoshtaria said her health has "noticeably deteriorated" over recent months, accusing the penitentiary system of providing only "sporadic, unsystematic, and ineffective" care.
Speaking at a press briefing on June 17, lawyer Shota Tutberidze said Khoshtaria has been "unlawfully held in a penitentiary institution for 10 months," with her condition worsening over the past four. "During every visit, symptoms are visibly apparent that may indicate an alarming condition," he said, citing severe joint pain, difficulty moving, and periodic limitations in her range of motion that sometimes leave her unable to write and requiring a cane to walk.
Tutberidze said Khoshtaria had initially chosen not to disclose her condition publicly, but decided to speak out after "neither the prison medical staff nor the institution's director showed adequate attention." He said a medical clinic in Turkey had been consulted, with physicians warning that without proper treatment, "irreversible damage may be caused to Elene's health," including the possibility that "she may no longer be able to move without a wheelchair." He added that those recommendations were submitted to the penitentiary facility roughly two months ago with no response.
Giga Lemonjava, Executive Secretary of Khoshtaria's party Droa, said the responsibility for her health "lies with the regime and personally with Bidzina Ivanishvili."
Georgia's Special Penitentiary Service dismissed the lawyer's account as "disinformation," insisting Khoshtaria "freely uses all services, including medical services." It said the majority of her diagnoses predated her incarceration and were chronic conditions prone to periodic flare-ups, and that her most recent rheumatologist consultation took place on June 5, with a follow-up scheduled for June 17. The Service also disputed the claim that requests for a treatment plan had gone unanswered, saying no such requests had been submitted since her admission.
Later that day, Khoshtaria released a letter from prison saying "I do not intend, not for a single moment, to enter into any discussion with the Russians' illegitimate institutions, or to prove anything to them," adding: "the pain is bearable, evil - unbearable. I am neither the first nor the last, but I make them one promise - I will not let a single unlawful act pass, and they will pay a price for it."
Khoshtaria, leader of the opposition Droa party, was detained in September 2025 after writing "Russian Dream" on a campaign banner of Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze in solidarity with a student facing trial over a similar act. She refused to pay bail and was sentenced to one year and six months in prison in March after being convicted of property damage. The European Parliament, in a resolution adopted on June 17, condemned what it described as "degrading and inhuman treatment" during her detention and called for her immediate and unconditional release.
