16:42 27.07.2017

Rally in support of Saakashvili held in central Kyiv

2 min read
Rally in support of Saakashvili held in central Kyiv

A rally in support of Mikheil Saakashvili, former president of Georgia and former head of Odesa Region State Administration, who was deprived of his Ukrainian citizenship, is being held in central Kyiv.

Several dozens of Saakashvili supporters have gathered at a stele on Independence Square, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent has reported.

The organizers of the rally are calling on the people who have come to the rally to sign an address to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and the parliament stating that they disagree with the deprivation of Saakashvili of Ukrainian citizenship.

At the same time, the organizers said the rally is a peaceful one, they are collecting signatures for an address to the president and the parliament to express "their legal position on the decisions made yesterday."

The protesters are holding banners with the words 'Citizenship, dignity, freedom,' 'Encroachment on freedom,' and 'Saakashvili is a citizen of Ukraine' on them.

Independent parliamentarian Yuriy Derevianko said at the rally: "We have just come from the Prosecutor General's Office. And Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko said very clearly that there are no criminal cases against Ukrainian citizen Mikheil Saakashvili on the territory of Ukraine. He also told us there are currently no other extradition cases against Ukrainian citizen Mikheil Saakashvili."

Saakashvili received Ukrainian citizenship under Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's decree from May 30, 2015. On the same day Poroshenko appointed Saakashvili as head of Odesa Regional State Administration.

On November 7, 2016, Saakashvili announced his resignation as Odesa region governor because he was "tired of constant deceit and corruption," including on the part of authorities in Kyiv. On November 9, 2016, Poroshenko signed a decree dismissing Saakashvili.

On July 26, 2017, the Ukrainian Migration Service announced that Poroshenko had signed a decree depriving Saakashvili of Ukrainian citizenship.

The Ukrainian presidential administration said the termination of Saakashvili's Ukrainian citizenship is connected to the false information provided by him when he obtained Ukrainian citizenship.

Saakashvili said earlier on Facebook that he is in the United States. He said he would seek a lawful right to return to Ukraine.

Several criminal cases against Saakashvili are being probed in Georgia. He is charged with embezzlement of state funds and abuse of office.

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