Statement of the Centre Empathy On the attempt of the Special Penitentiary Service to obstruct the experts’ examination of Mr. Mikheil Saakashvili

Statement of the Centre Empathy

On the attempt of the Special Penitentiary Service to obstruct the experts’ examination of Mr. Mikheil Saakashvili Group of experts shall hold a press conference on this issue at the Centre Empathy at 23 Kandelaki Street, at 15.00 on November 4, 2021

Response of the head of the Special Penitentiary Service, Ms. Tamta Demurishvili regarding the experts admission, according to which Ms. Demurishvili requests the consent of the experts to apply to the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia to have the experts’ personal information processed by a special service in order to verify the experts’ information, and also questions the experts’ qualification, was delivered on the e-mail address of the Centre Empathy on 03/11/2021 at 21:11. Publicly, we address, Ms. Demurishvili to clarify what kind of personal information she is requesting, since the professional state certificates of all experts were submitted to the Special Penitentiary Service in the application of the Centre Empathy on 29/11/2021. These certificates are public and available at the website of the LEPL Agency for Regulation of Medical and Pharmaceutical Activities: http://45.8.38.201/certificate/index.php?search=004759&submit=%E1%83%AB%E1%83%98%E1%83%94%E1%83%91%E1%83%90

The letter of the Head of the Medical Department of the Special Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia violates the Law of Georgia on the Patients’ Rights, as well as the Law of Georgia on the Health Care, violates international prisons health standards, according to which discrimination of patients on the grounds of imprisonment is inadmissible and a patient has the right to receive alternative opinion on the patient’s state. Mr. Mikheil Saakashvili has the right to make an informed decision and he made a consent to the medical examination by the Centre Empathy; therefore, this issue does not require supervision of the Penitentiary Service. In this regard, we will address the Public Defender of Georgia, as well as the letter shall be appealed to the Minister of Justice and shall be given legal proceedings, we will address international organizations and the diplomatic corps as well.

As for the experts’ examination of the 3^rd President of Georgia Mr. Mikheil Saakashvili in accordance with the standards of the Istanbul Protocol, it shall be conducted under any restrictions, and the mentioned letter of the Special Penitentiary Service shall be attached to the list of restrictions.

Centre Empathy

Mariam Jishkariani

599885468/28

Address: 23, Kandelaki st., Centre Empathy