The Special Penitentiary Service of Georgia has refuted reports that former Prosecutor General Murtaz Zodelava, who was convicted in the October 4 case, suffered a stroke. The agency confirmed that Zodelava had health complaints, which led to his transfer to the Vivamed clinic for an examination.
“The Special Penitentiary Service is responding to the false information circulated regarding convict Murtaz Zodelava and clarifies that he did not suffer a stroke. In accordance with the complaints presented by the convict, he was transferred to the Vivamed clinic to establish a diagnosis. Based on the results of the studies conducted, any acute pathological processes have been ruled out,” the statement reads.
The service also reported that, despite Zodelava’s own request to be returned to the penitentiary facility, doctors decided to keep him in the clinic for further dynamic observation. The Penitentiary Service urged to refrain from spreading inaccurate information regarding the convict’s health status.
Meanwhile, the clinical director of the Vivamed clinic, Zurab Chkhaidze, told journalists that Zodelava was hospitalized three days ago complaining of dizziness and is currently undergoing inpatient treatment under the supervision of a neurologist.
“His condition is satisfactory, but I cannot speak about other diagnoses, as this is personal information that I do not have the right to disclose. The patient was admitted with dizziness; there is no question of a stroke. All necessary examinations have been performed on him,” Chkhaidze said.
Speaking to the online news outlet Interpressnews, Murtaz Zodelava’s wife, Maia Mumladze, stated:
“I am in contact with the medical staff and the health department of the penitentiary system. He was admitted to the clinic with deteriorating health. At this stage, a stroke has not been confirmed. As for a possible previous stroke, I do not know exactly when it occurred, and the doctors cannot confirm it either, although they did find a certain lesion. It is currently inactive, so it is impossible to speak of a stroke at this time. He will likely be discharged from the clinic in the near future.”
Earlier, the third president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, reported that Zodelava had allegedly suffered two strokes while in detention.