Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili went on an indefinite hunger strike again today. This is the second time since Saakashvili was detained on October 1, 2021 after secretly arriving in Georgia - since his first day in prison he has been on a hunger strike in protest because he considers himself a political prisoner. The first hunger strike lasted 50 days.

"I declare from today an indefinite hunger strike in its entirety. This hunger strike is a reaction to the way the regime treats me and my people, our people. Here my health comes last. Let everyone see what it means to love the homeland. Let everyone see what it means to put one's country above personal comfort and everything else. Only fools would believe what I am accused of. Starting with the jacket case, the pardon case and so on," Saakashvili said today at the trial in the city court.

He once again explained his only demand for the hunger strike - to provide medical care in prison.

"My demand is to provide proper medical care as required by the Public Defender's Office and the Empathy Center. I'm sure if international experts came, they would say the same thing. This is a specific requirement. It doesn't mean that another unhappy, intimidated doctor should be let in, whose husband will be removed from his job, or his child will be kicked out of the institute, or various other tricks that I have already mastered in this mafia system, they won't be able to do that anymore," Saakashvili said.