Arsenic found in body of Georgia's convicted ex-president

Medical tests of the convicted ex-president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, detected arsenic in his body, Saakashvili’s lawyer Shalva Khachapuridze said, Report informs via TASS.

“We have not yet received nail tests, they will come today, but a phone call made it clear that another [poisonous] substance - arsenic - was found as a result of a medical examination,” he said.

The lawyer stressed that for the first time after a long break, Saakashvili will take part in a court hearing on the case of illegal border crossing. A special chair is required for him to attend the session, as his condition is grave.

According to Khachapuridze, the ex-president made this decision in order not to disrupt or postpone the trial.

Earlier, lawyer Valery Gelbakhiani and the ex-president’s mother Giuli Alasania reported his probable poisoning with heavy metals and mercury.