It is the responsibility of the Government of Georgia in this case to protect inmates from abuse, including mental abuse. Such a statement made US State Department spokesperson Ned Price, while commenting Mikheil Saakashvili’s case.

“We are closely following, as we have been since it occurred, the imprisonment and now the treatment of former President, including statement from Georgia’s Ombudsman’s Office that raises concerns about the conditions of Mikheil Saakashvili’s imprisonment.

We urge the Government of Georgia to immediately take steps to ensure that Mr. Saakashvili’s urgent mental health and medical needs are addressed. We continue to urge the Government to treat Mr. Saakashvili fairly and with dignity in accordance with international standards and Georgian law.

As we know, it is the responsibility of the Government of Georgia in this case to protect inmates from abuse, including mental abuse; to provide adequate medical care; and to protect their private health information in accordance with Georgian law”, - said Ned Price.