TBILISI, February 19 (RAPSI) - Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office has sent the Ukrainian Prosecutor General one more request for the arrest and extradition of ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili as it did not receive an official response to the first request from Ukrainian officials, RIA Novosti reports Thursday citing Deputy Prosecutor General Irakly Shotadze.
Earlier, the Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office filed a motion with the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office demanding the arrest and extradition of ex-president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili and ex-minister of Justice Zurab Adeishvili. On February 14, President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed a decree appointing Saakashvili – currently on the Georgian wanted list – his off-staff advisor and chairman of an international reform council.
Georgia requested that the Ukrainian Prosecutor General extradite both wanted men, according to Shotadze,. After the first request regarding Adeishvili was rejected, Georgia sent another motion. However, they did not receive any response regarding Saakashvili. Shotadze added that Ukraine obviously will not cooperate on this issue.
Another Deputy Prosecutor General, Georgy Gogadze, said the prosecutor’s office will not stop seeking extradition and will continue to work on this with Ukraine and other countries.
Saakashvili left Georgia immediately after the inauguration of a new president in November 2013 and has not returned to his home country since. In late 2013, he moved to the US where he took up teaching. However, over the past few months, he has regularly visited Kiev to give informal consultations to local officials.
Criminal charges were brought against Saakashvili last July in connection with the dispersal of an opposition rally in November 2007, the raid of television station Imedi, and the seizure of assets owned by billionaire Badri Patarkatsishvili. Saakashvili stands accused of abuse of office, use of violence, and breach of human dignity.
He was also charged in another criminal case with masterminding an armed attack on a member of parliament, and the embezzlement of about $5 million.
Adeishvili and former defense minister David Kezerashvili were also charged with abuse of office.
A court in Tbilisi issued an arrest warrant for Saakashvili, Adeishvili, and Kezerashvili on August 2, 2014.