Opposition women politicians held a rally outside Women’s Correctional Facility No. 5 in Rustavi in support of the imprisoned leader of the Droa party, Elene Khoshtaria. In a joint statement, the participants of the rally noted that during her time in prison, Khoshtaria has not been provided with the urgently needed medical procedures to manage her chronic illnesses.
“Today, women politicians and representatives of the public are uniting once again to respond to the deteriorating health of our colleague, a mother of four, the unlawfully imprisoned Elene Khoshtaria. She has been in political imprisonment for ten months now, and during this time, she has not received proper medical care.
The sentence of one year and six months in prison for peaceful protest and expressing her opinion goes beyond any legal standards. Furthermore, during her time in the penitentiary facility, she has not been provided with the procedures stipulated by special medical protocols required to treat her chronic illnesses, which is causing irreversible damage to her health.
It is important to note that prior to her imprisonment, Elene’s health was stable, and the deterioration occurred only after her transfer to the correctional facility, which places full responsibility on the Penitentiary Service.
The penitentiary system’s attitude toward Elene Khoshtaria’s health is a clear manifestation of political persecution and violates the principles of the rule of law and the protection of human rights. Freedom to Elene Khoshtaria! Freedom to prisoners of conscience!” the statement reads.
The document was signed by a number of Georgian women politicians, including Tina Bokuchava, Khatia Dekanoidze, Anna Natsvlishvili, Teona Akubardia, and others.
