Mikheil Saakashvili To Continue Legal Battle After European Court of Human Rights Decision
By Liza Mchedlidze
Monday, May 15, 2023
The Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze, made an announcement that the European Court of Human Rights had released its decision regarding the temporary measure applied for in the Mikheil Saakashvili case. According to Bregadze, the court did not grant the lawyers' request to transfer Saakashvili to another medical institution or country.
In response to Bregadze's statement, Saakashvili took to his Facebook page to state that his trial and "fight for life, Georgia, and Ukraine" continue in the Strasbourg court.
Saakashvili said that he is innocent and claimed to have been subjected to two years of torture based on false accusations. He stated in his Facebook post that his fight is for liberty, but he emphasized the need for Georgia to amplify its voice to secure his and other wrongly detained individuals' release.
"My only crime is that I created a real state under Russia's nose and firmly turned it towards the European Union and NATO. Now everything is in great danger, and that's why I'm in prison by order of Putin.
Georgians all over the world, and first of all in Georgia, should raise their voices louder about this injustice!
I have been fighting for the freedom of Georgia all my conscious life. I want Georgia to raise its voice even louder for the freedom of me, Nika, Lazarus, and all those who are unjustly imprisoned.
Foreign countries alone cannot do our work. The West and the free world will only help us if they see our continued, relentless struggle. I am sure that Georgia will not rely solely on Ukraine," wrote Saakashvili.
Giuli Alasania, the mother of the third president, has reacted to the statement released by Georgia's Minister of Justice, Rati Bregvadze, saying "The decision we were waiting for has been made."
Alasania has disclosed that it was not feasible to permit European physicians to examine Mikheil Saakashvili, which implies that the initial response may have been unfavorable.
Alasania expressed her disappointment with the situation, stating that "It is very sad, but it is a process." She also added that they are now moving to the second stage, where the lawsuit will be reviewed, and she hopes for a decision that many people, countries, and the population of Georgia are waiting for, as numerous surveys have indicated.
Alasania said that many countries support Saakashvili and want to save his life. She also mentioned that the European parliamentarians, the Council of Europe, the Seimas of Lithuania, and the Seimas of Ukraine and Poland have all made unanimous decisions calling for Saakashvili's release for treatment. Alasania stated that Saakashvili is in prison for fabricated charges, but in reality, he is being punished for not surrendering his country to Putin.
Despite the situation, Alasania stated that she remains optimistic and believes that justice will prevail in the end.
