Jailed Georgian ex-president to end 7-week hunger strike
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — A lawyer for Mikheil Saakashvili says the imprisoned former Georgian president has agreed to end a seven-week hunger strike that has caused him neurological damage. Nika Gvaramia also said Friday that Saakashvili has agreed to be transferred from a prison clinic to a military hospital, an offer the government made earlier in the day after persistent calls for him to be moved to a civilian hospital for better care. On Thursday, Saakashvili fell and lost consciousness at the end of a visit with a lawyer in the prison. The national ombudsman’s office said Friday that the fall was due to Wernicke’s encephalopathy, which is caused by vitamin-B deficiency and can result in vision and motor problems.