Ex-Georgian leader Saakashvili goes on hunger strike in Ukrainian jail
Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgia’s ex-president and former Ukrainian regional governor, has gone on a hunger strike after he was taken into Ukrainian custody, his lawyer said after meeting him at a detention center on Saturday, Sputnik International said.
"He has declared the start of a hunger strike," Ruslan Chernolutskiy told the crowd outside the detention facility where the politician is being held.
The lawyer said his defendant would object to force-feeding and would continue striking if a court decides to keep him behind bars for 60 days.
"He says he has nothing to do with this false case and is asking Ukrainians not to believe the information and propaganda spread as part of this persecution," the lawyer added.
A pre-trail hearing this weekend is likely to set bail conditions for the recaptured opposition politician, a spokeswoman for the prosecution said Saturday. Nevertheless, house arrest for the ex-Georgian president is not unlikely.
"Prosecutors will ask the court to put the detained Saakashvili under house arrest and have him wear an electronic bracelet as a preventative measure," spokeswoman Larisa Sargan said on Facebook.
Mikheil Saakashvili was reportedly detained by the Ukrainian security forces last night, the Ukrainian media said. The ex Georgian-leader claims he is facing prosecution solely for political reasons.