Facts

Ukraine's Supreme Court recognizes legality of Saakashvili's readmission to Poland

The Supreme Court of Ukraine has dismissed the cassation appeal of ex-president of Georgia, former head of the Odesa regional state administration Mikheil Saakashvili, in the case of his suit against the State Border Service, the Migration Service, the Interior Ministry for invalidating and canceling the decision on his readmission to Poland.

"The plaintiff requested that the actions of these authorities of February 12, 2018 on the implementation of the decision of the competent authority to return the plaintiff to the country of his previous stay be unlawful. The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the courts of previous instances, which denied Saakashvili's claims," the press service of the Supreme Court said on Facebook on Wednesday.

The press service noted that the decision was made during the trial on November 19, the full text of the decision will be prepared within five days.

"The decision comes into force from the moment of its adoption, is final and not subject to an appeal," the Supreme Court said.

As reported, in July 2017, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree revoking Saakashvili's Ukrainian citizenship, while the former Georgian president was in the United States.

On September 10, 2017, Saakashvili crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border backed by his supporters, inciting a clash with border guards and law enforcement officers. On September 22, 2018, the Mostyska District Court in Lviv region found Saakashvili guilty of illegally crossing Ukraine's state border.

On February 12, 2018, Saakashvili was detained in downtown Kyiv near the office of his party Movement of New Forces, taken to Boryspil Airport and sent to Poland. The Ukrainian Interior Ministry said that in accordance with court rulings in force, Saakashvili had been in Ukraine illegally and, therefore, "in compliance with all legal formalities" he "was returned to the country of his arrival due to violation of domestic legislation."

On May 28, 2019, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky reversed the decision of his predecessor to deprive Sakashvili of Ukrainian citizenship. Already on May 29, Saakashvili returned to Ukraine.

In early October, Saakashvili announced that he intends to inform the Prosecutor General's Office against Poroshenko because of his expulsion from Ukraine in February 2018.

On October 7, the Main Military Prosecutor's Office opened a criminal proceeding on the basis of Saakashvili's statement about violent acts and his illegal movement across the state border of Ukraine to Poland in 2018.

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