Mikheil Saakashvili

Former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has called on Washington to intervene and stop his prosecution for abuse of office, as he approaches seven weeks on a self-declared ‘hunger strike’ in protest at his treatment.

Nine opposition politicians in Georgia’s parliament are beginning a hunger strike to demand that the jailed former President Mikhail Saakashvili be transferred to a civil hospital from his prison, it was announced on Monday.

Mikhail Saakashvili has been transferred to a prison hospital, according to Georgian authorities. The former President allegedly went on hunger strike after he was jailed upon his return from exile, last month.

Protesters are poised to target government buildings in Georgia and cause traffic chaos in the capital, Tbilisi, at the direction of jailed ex-president Mikhail Saakashvili, the ex-Soviet country’s security service has alleged.

Georgia, the former Soviet Republic in the South Caucasus, is facing two severe political problems: one fairly recent, and the other dating back to at least 2003, during the heady days of its Western-backed ‘color revolution’.

Former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has insisted his relationship with a top Ukrainian MP is no meaningless fling but a fully-fledged partnership. His wife has previously admitted she was surprised to hear his big news.