A group of 31 former Georgian diplomats addressed the international community, including the EU, NATO, the Council of Europe, and the OSCE, among others, to raise international communities’ awareness of imprisoned ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili’s ailing health and calling on them to “react as strongly as possible to these concerning developments.”

"Amid concerns of rapidly deteriorating health and citing severe human rights abuses, including torture and heavy metal poisoning, an independent team of U.S. medical experts has announced the findings of their recent assessment of the Former President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili.

The facts of his condition are alarming and it is clear President Saakashvili has been grossly mistreated, and subjected to torture," said Dr. James C. Cobey, M.D., M.P.H., FACS, who shared the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize on Landmines. "His life is immediately threatened unless he is moved to a western treatment facility to receive lifesaving care," added Dr. Cobey.

Since President Saakashvili was detained in October 2021, his physical and mental condition has significantly deteriorated. The recent findings confirm he now suffers from debilitating psychological, neurological, orthopedic and gastrointestinal conditions directly caused by confinement. In addition, the medical team discovered evidence of arsenic and heavy metals, including mercury in President Saakashvili's body, leading the medical experts to strongly recommend the immediate transfer in an advanced medical facility in the United States or Western Europe.

"President Saakashvili has been given at least 14 different drugs, some non-FDA approved," said Dr. David E. Smith, M.D., FASAM, FAACT, a leading toxicologist in the United States. "The deadly combination has produced brain dysfunction including white matter reduction in the prefrontal cortex which controls executive function in the brain, increasing morbidity and the risk of mortality, and immediate detoxification from these drugs is therefore necessary," added Dr. Smith.

On 2 December, due to the medical assessment findings, President Saakashvili's legal team, including Massimo F. D'Angelo, a U.S.-based lawyer with Akerman filed an emergency application in the Georgian court seeking the deferral of the former president's prison sentence and immediate transfer out of Georgia.

Allowing President Saakashvili to be treated abroad is a first step, as it would give the former president access to Western-standard testing and treatment, free from concerns of political interference. As the recent resolution by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has established, Mikheil Saakashvili is a political prisoner of the current regime.He must be freed. As Georgia is seeking to obtain the candidate status to the European Union, especially at a time when all of Europe’s security is under threat, developments like this one are absolutely unacceptable.

We, the former Georgian diplomats, would like to raise international communities’ awareness on the issue and call on respective governments, IOs and INGOs to react as strongly as possible to these concerning developments", they said.

The signatories of the letter are:

• Giorgi Badridze, former Ambassador to the United Kingdom; Senior Fellow at Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies
• David Bakradze, former Speaker of the Parliament, former Minister of Foreign Affairs; Member of the Parliament
• Gela Bezhuashvili, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, former Secretary of National Security Council; Member of the Board, Strategy International
• Valeri Chechelashvili, former Finance Minister, former 1st Deputy Foreign Minister, former Ambassador to Ukraine, to Russia, former Secretary General of BSEC, of GUAM; Member of European Leadership Network, Georgian Strategic Analysis Centre Board Member
• Konstantin Gabashvili, former Ambassador of Georgia to Germany, Poland, Italy, Malta, San-Marino, FAO, IFAD, WFP, former Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs, of the Parliamentary Committee for Science and Education, former Minister of Education, former Mayor of Tbilisi, invited Lecturer at Tbilisi State University and Ilia State University
• Mamuka Gamkrelidze, former Ambassador to the China, Mongolia, Vietnam; General Secretary of European Democrats Party of Georgia
• PaataGaphrindashvili, former Permanent Representative of Georgia to the OSCE; Director, Georgia’s Reforms Associates (GRASS)
• Gigi Gigiadze, former Ambassador to Kinngdom of Denmark and Republic of Iceland, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; Senior Fellow at Economic Policy Research Center
• ThornikeGordadze, former Minister of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; Professor at Paris Institute of Political Studies
• Shota Gvineria, former Ambassador to Kingdom of Netherlands; Senior Fellow at Economic Policy Research Center
• Gia Japaridze, former Ambassador to Cyprus; Senior Fellow at Ilia Chavchavadze Center for European Studies & Civic Education
• NatiaJaparidze, former Ambassador to France and Permanent Representative to UNESCO, former Director of the Council of Europe Office in Georgia;Historical and Heritage expert at the Museum of Groix, France
• MamukaJgenti, former Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe; Founder of the Georgian Institute of European Values
• Sergi Kapanadze, former Vice-speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, former Deputy Foreign Minister; Founder and Board Chair at GRASS
• George Kublashvili, former Ambassador of Georgia to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan; founder at IVERIA
• Batu Kutelia, former Ambassador of Georgia to the USA, Canada and Mexico; former Deputy Minister of Defence; Founder of Atlantic council of Georgia
• ZurabKvachadze, former Consul-General to Odesa and Donetsk (Ukraine)
• TarielLebanidze, former Ambassador to Turkey, Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Alexander Lomaia, former Permanent Representative of Georgia to the United Nations, former Secretary of National Security Council
• Ekaterina Meiering-Mikadze, former ambassador to Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Lebanon, and to the Arab Gulf States;Cologne City Council Administration
• Levan Metreveli, MD, PhD, MPH,former Ambassador of Georgia to Romania, Moldova, Canada, Bulgaria; Professor of Global Health at University of Georgia
• Grigol Mgaloblishvili, former Prime-Minister, former Permanent Representative to NATO
• Nino Nakashidze, PhD, former Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on European integration, former Ambassador of Georgia to the Czech Republic; Deputy Director General of TV Mtavari
• Alex Petriashvili, former State Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, former Ambassador to Turkmenistan and Afghanistan; Senior Fellow at Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies
• Salome Samadashvili, former Head of Georgia’s Mission to the European Union, Ambassador to Kingdom of Belgium and Grand Duchy of Luxembourg; Member of Parliament, Political Secretary of “Lelo for Georgia”
• David Sikharulidze, former Ambassador of Georgia to the USA, Canada and Mexico; former Minister of Defence; Chairperson of Atlantic council of Georgia
• Zurab Tchiaberashvili, former Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe, former Ambassador to Switzerland and former Permanent Representative to the UN office and other IOs in Geneva; Professor at Ilia State University
• Eka Tkeshelashvili, former Minister of Foreign Affairs; President of Georgian Institute for Strategic Studies
• Grigol Vashadze, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, former Minister of Culture, Sport and Youth; Member of the Parliament
• Nikoloz Vashakidze, former Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council, former First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, former First Deputy Minister of Defence; Chairperson of Political Council of European Democrats Party of Georgia
• Temur Yakobashvili, former State Minister for Reintegration, former Ambassador to the United States; President of the Revival Foundation, Washington DC based charity