Ukraine has stopped the former Governor of Odessa, Mikheil Saakasvili, at the Polish border, and denied him entry.
ADVERTISEMENTFormer Georgian president and then governor of Odessa until last November Mikheil Saakasvili has been denied re-entry to Ukraine after travelling to Poland.
He has been stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship by former ally President Poroshenko. Former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, attempting a political comeback, is among his supporters.
#Ukraine border guard stop #Saakashvili at Krakoviec checkpoint: Sorry, road is possibly MINED. Roaring laughter from Saakashvili,Tymoshenko pic.twitter.com/oy83lHrDca
— Konrad Schuller (@SchullerKonrad) 10 septembre 2017
“They act like how the Soviet Union used to act when they wanted to get rid of a dissident: they waited until they went abroad then stole their citizenship. The Ukrainians, President Poroshenko, act exactly like Soviet times, like the KGB acted. Well, I think we no longer live in Soviet times and we have our own country which has rules and laws,” he claimed.
Thousands of Saakashvili’s supporters have gathered on the Ukraine-Poland border, and have set up a tented camp. They include some elected Ukrainian officials.
Saakashvili was seen to have failed to clamp down on corruption in Odessa, and his relationship with Poroshenko broke down.
Here you go – #Georgia adds some spice on its end to #Saakashvili saga in #Ukrainehttps://t.co/BQ5tuK0UqA
— Olesya Vartanyan (@Olesya_vArt) 5 septembre 2017
#Georgia has filed an extradition request with #Ukraine for #Saakashvili. Once he is detained, extradition awaits. #CutOffNoseToSpiteFace
— ArianaGic/Аріянॳць (@GicAriana) 10 septembre 2017