Former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili feared dead by Ukrainian President

Ukraine’s President Volodimir Zelensky has expressed fears over the deteriorating health of former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, who is imprisoned in his home country.

In a tweet, Zelensky called the situation a “de facto public execution attempt” and said that the 55-year-old Saakashvili “is slowly being killed”.

Saakashvili denounced via Twitter that he was being tortured and that he had been poisoned, and requested medical treatment. He also said that he was absolutely sure of victory in the war in Ukraine.

Saakashvili has reportedly lost a lot of weight since his video court hearing from hospital. The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly criticized the former president’s imprisonment.

Saakashvili had fled Georgia after losing the 2013 election and was sentenced in absentia to six years in jail for abuse of power. He returned back to Georgia in 2021, despite a warrant for his arrest, and was subsequently detained.

The authorities have not officially confirmed the validity of Saakashvili’s complaint.