Politico, citing Mikheil Saakashvili himself, reported that he was dying.

 "I am a political prisoner in Georgia, a country I led as president from 2004 to 2013 and worked hard to reorient towards democracy and the West... When I returned to Georgia in October 2021 after eight years of exile to support free and fair parliamentary elections, I was a healthy, energetic man of 54. I was then promptly arrested by the Georgian authorities and have been incarcerated ever since on hearsay and politically motivated abuse of power charges that only the Kremlin and the current Georgian government consider legitimate ".

 "Finally, my health has deteriorated dramatically. I am now dying. I have been systematically tortured, physically and psychologically, and now my body shows signs of heavy metal poisoning. I now suffer from a staggering array of over 20 serious illnesses, all of which have developed in conclusion".

 "It is also becoming increasingly clear that I will die soon if I do not receive proper medical care outside the country. I continue to call on the US and the international community to do everything possible to save my life by putting diplomatic pressure on the Georgian government and imposing economic sanctions against Ivanishvili "and his associates".

 "My death may cause political chaos in Georgia, but my martyrdom will certainly be considered a victory for Putin - a powerful symbol for all leaders of this region, and perhaps the whole world, who will not be able to stand up to Russian imperialism," Saakashvili wrote for Politico.

 Last month, world leaders called for his release, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said the current Georgian government was trying to kill Saakashvili.