Elene Khoshtaria, the leader of the opposition party Droa, has gone on hunger strike in the parliament building of Georgia, demanding the transfer of the former president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvil, to a civil clinic for treatment.
Saakashvili has been on hunger strike for 35 days now, since the day of his arrest.
Doctors claim that his condition is worsening daily and the former president currently has heart problems.
However, Saakashvili refuses to receive treatment at the prison hospital and demands transfer to a civil clinic instead. Otherwise, he refuses to receive any medical assistance.
Droa leader Khoshtaria says she is not going to leave the parliament.
“I do not represent Mikheil Saakashvili’s party. I am not his voter. I had and still have complaints against him, but what is happening today around his imprisonment and health is sadistic and cynical revenge against the third president. This issue is in the interests of the state.
“I want to make the Georgian Dream understand that I am in Parliament, that this form of protest is absolutely peaceful, I am not going to interfere in meetings, committees or anyone’s work,” she told reporters in Parliament, where she has been staying since last night.
“I will continue the hunger strike, the plan cannot be changed until the president is transferred to a civilian clinic and there are no guarantees for his health,” she emphasized.
By Ana Dumbadze
