Georgia: Jailed Saakashvili ends hunger strike after 50 days; moved to military hospital

Georgia's ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili has finally ended his hunger strike after he was moved to a military hospital from a prison clinic. The jailed leader has been on a hunger strike for 50 days after his return from exile in Ukraine on October 1.

There have been reports of him being in critical condition as a result of the hunger strike. The authorities have been urged to move him to a regular clinic after he fainted. Initially, the medical recommendations were rejected. However, Justice Minister Rati Bregadze recently told that they were open to moving Saakashvili to a military hospital to ensure that "his health and security will be protected at most by the state."

The pro-Western reformer president refused food for 37 days to protest his imprisonment, which he says is politically motivated.
Saakashvili's lawyer, while speaking to AFP said, "He still is in a life-threatening condition and was placed in an intensive care ward," Kipshidze told AFP."

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The US State Department has urged the Georgian government to "treat Mr Saakashvili fairly and with dignity". Several opposition lawmakers had been on hunger strike for days, demanding proper medical care for Saakashvili.

Georgia must take steps "to inform the Court about the applicant's current state of health, to ensure his safety in prison, and to provide him with appropriate medical care for the post-hunger-strike recovery period," the European Court of Human Rights said last week. It also urged Saakashvili to "call off his hunger strike."

(With inputs from agencies)