Georgian court to consider postponing former president's jail term

Ilia Lomia, lawyer of Georgian ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, has said that a Tbilisi court will make a decision on postponement of the ex-president’s prison sentence.

"The trial on a possible postponement of the prison sentence due to the revealed diseases will be held in the Tbilisi City Court on December 9," the lawyer told reporters on December 6, Interfax reports.

In turn, chief physician of the Vivamed clinic Zurab Chkhaidze told reporters that Saakashvili's health condition is stable.

"There is no need to transfer Saakashvili to the intensive care unit," Chkhaidze said.

Chkhaidze said that Saakashvili, who is currently undergoing treatment at the private Tbilisi clinic "Vivamed", takes food only on certain days. The chief physician noted that Saakashvili does not eat well.

“Saakashvili eats on his own and not every day. This does not mean that he cannot eat. If such a situation continues, we may provide nutrition to Saakashvili through a feeding tube,” Chkhaidze said.

According to Chkhaidze, Saakashvili's health condition is stable, but it requires attention. "He had problems with pressure, but they have already been resolved," he added.

Saakashvili's relatives and friends say that his health condition is severe and he cannot eat, therefore, on the basis of a court decision, he should be temporarily released from prison and sent for treatment abroad.