Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was transferred to a private medical facility for treatment on Thursday after his health significantly deteriorated in prison following two hunger strikes.

A lawyer for Saakashvili said his legal team was aware that he had been transferred to a clinic in the capital Tbilisi but said it had not received any information about his health from the penitentiary service.

The 54-year-old was detained in October last year upon returning to Georgia after years of exile to rally the opposition on the eve of local elections.

Saakashvili, who implemented pro-Western reforms over nearly a decade in office, was charged in absentia in 2018 of abusing his office during his presidency, charges he rejects as politically motivated.

Source:Timeslive