Defense lawyer of Elene Khoshtaria, imprisoned leader of the opposition Droa party, said on June 17 that her health has “noticeably” deteriorated in prison over recent months, accusing the penitentiary system of providing only “sporadic, unsystematic, and ineffective” care.
Khoshtaria was detained on September 15, 2025, after writing “Russian Dream” on a campaign banner of Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, the ruling Georgian Dream party’s pick, in solidarity with a student who faced trial over a similar act. She refused to pay bail to secure her release during trial, and was sentenced to one year and six months in prison in March after the court found her guilty of “property damage.”
Speaking at a press briefing, lawyer Shota Tutberidze said Khoshtaria has been “unlawfully held in a penitentiary institution for 10 months,” with her condition worsening noticeably over the past four. “During every visit, symptoms are visibly apparent that may indicate an alarming condition,” he said, citing symptoms such as “severe joint pain; difficulty moving, periodically, limited range of motion, due to which she is sometimes unable even to write, and requires a cane when moving.”
Tutberidze said Khoshtaria had initially chosen not to disclose her condition publicly, but decided to speak out after “neither the prison medical staff nor the institution’s director showed adequate attention.” He noted that Khostaria holds no grievances against nurses or officers on the ground, but described the medical care provided over the past four months as “sporadic, unsystematic, and ineffective.”
He said that they consulted a medical clinic in Turkey, with Turkish physicians warning that without proper treatment, “irreversible damage may be caused to Elene’s health. For example, she may no longer be able to move without a wheelchair.” Tutberidze added that their recommendations and assessments were submitted to the penitentiary facility approximately two months ago.
“In addition, for two weeks already, Elene Khoshtaria’s lawyer has addressed the penitentiary institution with a request to develop, present, and organize a meeting regarding a treatment plan for the political prisoner, and to this day we have not received a response to this request either,” Tutberidze said, adding that this “once again demonstrates the penitentiary service’s indifferent attitude toward the health of prisoners and the obligations stipulated by law toward them.”
Giga Lemonjava, Executive Secretary of Khoshtaria’s party, noted during the same briefing that while Khoshtaria’s political position is that “she asks nothing of anyone, including the penitentiary service,” the responsibility of her health “lies with the regime and personally with Bidzina Ivanishvili.”
Georgia’s Special Penitentiary Service pushed back shortly after the press briefing, dismissing Tutberidze’s account of Khoshtaria’s declining health as “disinformation.” It insisted that she is “provided with all relevant conditions and freely uses all services, including medical services.”
The Service said the “absolute majority” of her diagnoses predated her incarceration, describing them as chronic conditions prone to “periodic flare-ups,” claiming that “no deterioration of her health condition in any way or form has occurred.” The statement added that Khoshtaria’s most recent consultation with a rheumatologist took place on June 5, when “recommendations were issued, and relevant examinations were conducted.” A follow-up rheumatologist appointment, it noted, is scheduled for June 17.
Disputing the defense team’s claim that requests for a treatment plan had gone unanswered, the Service said that neither Khoshtaria nor her lawyers had submitted “any kind of request regarding medical services or additional examinations” since her admission to prison.
Later in the day, Khoshtaria released a letter from prison which was shared on her Facebook page, saying “I do not intend, not for a single moment, to enter into any discussion with the Russians’ illegitimate institutions, or to prove anything to them,” noting that “the pain is bearable, evil – unbearable. I am neither the first nor the last, but I make them one promise – I will not let a single unlawful act pass, and they will pay a price for it!”
The case of Khostaria has drawn attention from the European Parliament. The EP resolution, which was adopted on June 17, “condemns the degrading and inhuman treatment reportedly inflicted on Elene Khoshtaria during her detention,” and demands her “immediate and unconditional release and the immediate withdrawal of politically motivated charges against her.”
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