The Public Defender’s Office is responding to the May 2 statements of the Minister of Justice of Georgia and the questions received from the Special Penitentiary Service relating to the report issued by the group of medical experts of the Office and the disclosure of Mikheil Saakashvili's personal data.

We are surprised by the questions asked, as the complaints presented in the report, examination data (including low albumin levels) and other issues publicly voiced by the Minister of Justice were discussed in detail by the experts with the medical personnel on the day of the visit paid to the penitentiary establishment. We clarify once again that the report of the Public Defender's group of independent experts is based on the patient's personal examination, as well as the study of medical materials, test results and records submitted by the penitentiary establishment itself.

Naturally, the Minister of Justice and the Special Penitentiary Service are also aware that the group of experts set up by the Public Defender is staffed by highly qualified, conscientious, highly credible and experienced doctors, who clearly have the competence to describe each symptom, diagnose, and talk about/make recommendations.

As the answers to the questions asked by the Minister of Justice require qualified reasoning and special medical knowledge, the Public Defender and the group of medical experts are ready to meet in a working format with competent medical representatives of the Ministry of Justice/Penitentiary Service, state medical council and doctor-specialists and to hold expert discussions. Inter alia, we express our readiness to make this discussion public.

In addition, we would like to remind the Ministry of Justice of Georgia and the Special Penitentiary Service that although the Public Defender and the group of experts are ready to engage in any kind of expert discussion, the Ministry should not artificially delay the process. The patient's condition is considered to have deteriorated significantly and timely provision of qualified medical care is crucial. The Ministry has an unfortunate experience when the recommendations of the Public Defender’s group of experts were not taken into account in a timely manner, which brought the patient's condition to a critical point in Gldani Medical Establishment No. 18. We hope that this time the Ministry will adequately assess the time factor and will provide the patient with quality and adequate medical services.

Finally, we would like to respond to the accusations made by the Minister of Justice that members of the expert group illegally disclosed Mikheil Saakashvili's personal data. We clarify that Mikheil Saakashvili has given his consent to the Public Defender and her authorized persons to disclose any information related to him, including information about his health condition. Accordingly, the Public Defender and her authorized persons disclose this type of data to the extent necessary for the public positioning of the conclusions and arguments and for the satisfaction of public interest.