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).
In Georgia, the relatives of former President Mikheil Saakashvili were repeatedly invited to invite foreign doctors for his treatment. This was stated by Justice Minister Rati Bregadze.
According to Bregadze, the Ministry of Justice and the Special Penitentiary Service do not object to Saakashvili being treated by doctors from abroad. However, neither the former President himself nor his family have yet provided the relevant documents.
The US State Department human rights report released the previous day also presents the case of Mikhail Saakashvili. In particular, the document refers to inhuman treatment of the former President during his forced transfer from prison to a penitentiary clinic.
Imprisonment and hunger strikes undermined the health of the politician. He lost a lot of weight, and he was diagnosed with a number of disorders and diseases.