Transparency International Georgia holds Bidzina Ivanishvili, founder of the Georgian Dream party, and the ruling party itself responsible for the health condition of Elene Khoshtaria. The NGO demands the immediate release of the leader of the opposition party Droa!.
Today, Khoshtaria was transferred from a penitentiary facility to the Todua Clinic. Circulated video footage shows her using a wheelchair.
“Imprisoned Elene Khoshtaria suffers from an inflammatory disease of the spine. Due to these health issues, even several months ago she had to walk with a cane and found it difficult even to hold a pen. For this reason, she underwent examination and treatment at the Vivamedi clinic for several months. The footage capturing Elene Khoshtaria’s condition once again reminds us of the high price Ivanishvili’s regime forces people fighting for freedom to pay. Elene is a political prisoner,” Transparency International noted.
The organization emphasizes that Elene Khoshtaria’s actions could, at worst, have entailed administrative liability, but by no means criminal liability, and that the 1.5-year prison sentence handed down by the court is excessively harsh and disproportionate to the alleged offense.
“Moreover, given her state of health, detention in a penitentiary facility is incompatible with the standards prohibiting torture, inhuman or degrading treatment enshrined in international human rights instruments and the Constitution of Georgia. Full legal and political responsibility for Elene Khoshtaria’s imprisonment, her health, and her safety lies with Bidzina Ivanishvili and Georgian Dream. It is they who created a repressive system that punishes political opponents and uses imprisonment to suppress dissent,” the NGO stated.
