Georgian former president Saakashvili ends hunger strike | Abroad

Saakashvili (53) went on a hunger strike a month and a half ago to protest his “illegal imprisonment.” He lost consciousness on Thursday and is in life-threatening condition, according to his doctors. Authorities transferred Saakashvili to a hospital in the city of Gori early Saturday morning, his lawyer said. The politician would be treated there in intensive care.

Saakashvili was president of Georgia from 2004 to 2013 and then went abroad. Authorities immediately arrested him in early October when he returned to his home country, where he still had to serve a six-year prison sentence. The politician has always called his conviction for abuse of power politically motivated and demands a “fair trial.”

The ex-president has spent the past week and a half in a prison hospital, much to the anger of his supporters. They demand that Saakashvili be transferred to a normal civilian hospital, but the government does not want to cooperate. However, Saakashvili has now decided to end his hunger strike, his personal physician confirmed.

The condition of Saakashvili is also closely monitored from abroad. The United States has called on Georgia to respect its rights.

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