The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine strongly protests the inhumane treatment of Ukrainian citizen Mikheil Saakashvili, who is behind bars in Georgia.

"In the worst traditions of the NKVD of the USSR, the Georgian authorities use psychological and physical violence against Mikheil Saakashvili, deny him urgently needed medical care, deliberately creating an immediate threat to his life. A gross violation of human rights in relation to a Ukrainian citizen runs counter to Tbilisi's declared course of gaining EU membership, and indicates the curtailment of democracy in Georgia," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Thus, Ukraine calls on the Georgian authorities to immediately stop mocking Saakashvili and hand him over to Ukraine.

"Don't play with a person's life for political revenge. We also appeal to foreign governments and international organizations to stand publicly in defense of a Ukrainian citizen, the former president of Georgia, whose life was in danger due to political repressions by the Georgian authorities," the ministry said.

On February 1, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to the Georgian leadership to release Ukrainian citizen and former Georgian President Saakashvili.

During a press conference with the head of Austria, Alexander von der Bellen, Zelensky showed journalists the photographs of the emaciated former president of Georgia that he had received and expressed confidence that the Georgian leadership intended to kill Saakashvili.