Georgia asks Ukraine to extradite ex-president Saakashvili
The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office has sent a formal request to the law enforcement agencies in some countries, including Ukraine, for the extradition of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, the Imedi TV channel reported on Friday citing a written reply from the Prosecutor’s Office, according to TASS new agency.
"Concerning Mikheil Saakashvili, the Prosecutor’s Office is in talks with the competent authorities in various countries, all necessary legal procedures are underway," the Prosecutor’s Office said in its letter. It noted that Georgia had sent a request for Saakashvili’s extradition to Ukraine, adding that "the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office is working closely with Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office."
Georgian Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani said on July 31 Tbilisi was ready to demand Saakashvili’s extradition from any country where the former president could choose to stay after his Ukrainian citizenship had been revoked.
"If it is Ukraine, all legal procedures are over, and all the evidence we had back in 2014-2-15 has been handed over to the Ukrainian side. As for other countries, for example, the United States, if the former president decides to stay there, we will need legal consultations with those countries, including negotiations and the extradition agreements," the minister explained.
Former Georgian President and ex-Governor of Ukraine’s Odessa region Mikheil Saakashvili said earlier this week he is going to return to Ukraine on September 10.