Mearakishvili Rejects South Ossetian President's Accusation and Goes on a "Dry" Hunger Strike

Georgian citizen Tamara Mearakishvili, imprisoned in South Ossetia on charges of "espionage," has gone on a "dry" hunger strike: she is now refusing not only food but also water and medication. Her lawyer, Alan Bazzaev, who visited her, reported this, noting his client's deteriorating health.

He added that doctors in the Tskhinvali pretrial detention center are trying to persuade the prisoner to end her hunger strike, but she refuses, protesting her innocence. According to the lawyer, Mearakishvili has lost approximately 10 kg. He emphasized that the next 10 days could be critical: a "dry hunger strike" could cause irreversible processes in her body, including organ failure.

"She says she has committed no crimes and considers herself a personal prisoner of President Alan Gagloev." "I do not intend to end my hunger strike until my release," Bazzaev stated.

Tamara Mearakishvili commented on South Ossetian President Alan Gagloev's accusation that she received funding from abroad. She claimed she represented South Ossetia at international events and received a monetary certificate for defending her rights. The document in question was a document she received in 2018 from the Dutch Embassy through the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The head of the self-proclaimed republic presented the corresponding "Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs certificate" at a press conference. He stated that the investigation has "facts and documents confirming her involvement in the charges."

Tamara Mearakishvili, who demanded a meeting with Gagloev and was detained before her announced solo picket, is in pretrial detention. She faces 10 to 20 years in prison on charges of espionage for Georgia. After her arrest, she went on a hunger strike.

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