01:31Georgia: 'He tried very hard to look chipper' - Fmr President Saakashvili's family visits him in Rustavi prison
Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's mother Giuli Alasania, and his two sons, Eduard and Nikoloz, visited the jailed politician in Rustavi prison on Monday.
"To be honest, I haven't seen starving people, but I saw him [Saakashvili]. Of course, he doesn't look like he did before, before he went to prison. He has been on hunger strike for 15 days and when his children and I came to see him, he tried very hard to look chipper and good. But he is no longer chipper, in my opinion," said Saakashvili’s mother.
Eduard, the eldest son of the Georgian ex-president, also gave an interview outside the prison.
"We came to see our father. We were provided with such a possibility on the tenth day. Our family's top priority is health and freedom. We are grateful to those who share this idea," stated Eduard.
Mikheil Saakashvili was detained in Georgia on October 1st. Earlier, the former president said that he intended to return to the country from Ukraine in time for the October election.
He was put on a domestic wanted list as he was sentenced in absentia on connections to the murder case of banker Sandro Girgvliani and the beating of MP Valeri Gelashvili. Authorities have repeatedly said they would detain the politician at a border crossing.
While in prison, Saakashvili went on a hunger strike, calling himself a political prisoner. His supporters held rallies in support of the country's former leader and also collected signatures on a petition addressed to the Georgian president and government demanding Saakashvili's release.
01:31Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's mother Giuli Alasania, and his two sons, Eduard and Nikoloz, visited the jailed politician in Rustavi prison on Monday.
"To be honest, I haven't seen starving people, but I saw him [Saakashvili]. Of course, he doesn't look like he did before, before he went to prison. He has been on hunger strike for 15 days and when his children and I came to see him, he tried very hard to look chipper and good. But he is no longer chipper, in my opinion," said Saakashvili’s mother.
Eduard, the eldest son of the Georgian ex-president, also gave an interview outside the prison.
"We came to see our father. We were provided with such a possibility on the tenth day. Our family's top priority is health and freedom. We are grateful to those who share this idea," stated Eduard.
Mikheil Saakashvili was detained in Georgia on October 1st. Earlier, the former president said that he intended to return to the country from Ukraine in time for the October election.
He was put on a domestic wanted list as he was sentenced in absentia on connections to the murder case of banker Sandro Girgvliani and the beating of MP Valeri Gelashvili. Authorities have repeatedly said they would detain the politician at a border crossing.
While in prison, Saakashvili went on a hunger strike, calling himself a political prisoner. His supporters held rallies in support of the country's former leader and also collected signatures on a petition addressed to the Georgian president and government demanding Saakashvili's release.