Elena Patyaeva—a friend of Seda Suleymanova, who disappeared three years ago after being forcibly returned from St. Petersburg to Chechnya—was detained in Grozny. On August 23, Patyaeva stood by the monument to journalists who died for freedom of speech, holding a sign that read: "I demand an investigation into the murder of Seda Suleymanova." This was reported by the human rights project "Slovo Zashchite" (Word for the Defense).
The ex-President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, who is under arrest, published an appeal calling on the citizens of the country to release him from prison. He listed the successes that Georgia achieved during his presidency.
“I have done nothing but good for our country. I am being judged because I introduced Georgia to the whole world, brought the country out of the quagmire of crime and poverty, enlightened it and formed a state. I am being condemned for not running away in 2008 and preserving the state. I was arrested for creating success stories in Georgia and Ukraine. I was arrested because I am one of the main regional leaders and an ally of Zelensky, the leader of the free world,” Saakashvili wrote on the social network. He called on his compatriots to release him in order to achieve victory and peace for Georgia, Ukraine and civilization.
Earlier, the European Committee against Torture checked Saakashvili’s detention in the clinic. “The patient had a history of difficult relationships with staff and behavior that could be interpreted as a form of self-harm. For example, refusal to eat and follow some suggested treatments,” the statement said. A delegation of the committee visited Georgia in August 2023 and inspected the conditions of treatment and maintenance of patients in the clinic.