Georgia’s jailed former leader Saakashvili ends 50-day hunger strike

GORI, Georgia

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who has been under detention since Oct. 1, ended his 50-day prison hunger strike on Saturday.

The decision came after Saakashvili was moved from a prison hospital to a more equipped military hospital as his condition worsened, according to his lawyer Nika Gvaramia.

Gvaramia said Saakashvili, who was held in the prison hospital in Tbilisi’s northern Gldani district, was transferred to a military hospital in the eastern city of Gori late on Friday.

Saakashvili, who had been on a hunger strike since his arrest, reportedly fainted during a meeting with his lawyers on Thursday.

Gvaramia said on Friday that Saakashvili would end his 50-day hunger strike if he was transferred to the military hospital in Gori.

Georgian opera singer Paata Burchuladze and 10 opposition lawmakers also ended their hunger strike after Saakashvili’s transfer.

Saakashvili was arrested in Tbilisi on Oct. 1 after secretly returning to Georgia from eight years in exile.

The former president, who was serving his sentence in the southeastern province of Rustavi, was transferred to the Gldani prison hospital on Nov. 8 to prevent deterioration in his health due to increased risks, the penitentiary service reported.

* Writing by Zehra Nur Duz