TASS-FILE. may 7, 2020 became known that the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky appointed former Governor Odessa region, the former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, head of the Executive Committee of reforms (a consultative-Advisory body under the head of the Ukrainian state).
Originally Zelensky was going to appoint Saakashvili Deputy head of the government on reforms. However, the Parliament did not have a sufficient number of votes to support this initiative.
the TASS tells about the activities of Mikhail Saakashvili in Ukraine.
He was born December 21, 1967 in Tbilisi (Georgia). A graduate of the Institute of international relations of Kyiv national University. T. G. Shevchenko. Studied and worked in USA, Italy and Holland, of Norway. In 1995 he returned to Georgia. Was a member of Parliament (1995-2000), the representative of Georgia in PACE (2000), the Minister of justice (2000-2001). In the early 2000-ies led the opposition party “National movement” (“United national movement — UNM”).
on 4 January 2004 Mikheil Saakashvili was elected President of Georgia (96,27%). 25 Nov 2007 resigned amid mass protests against his policies. However, on 5 January 2008 was again re-elected head of state (for 53.47%). In mid-November 2013, a few days prior to the expiration of the term of office, left the country.
the homeland of the former President is involved in several criminal cases, including charges of corruption, murder and the organization of an armed attack.
In December 2013, during the events of “euromaidan”, Mikheil Saakashvili in a group of European envoys arrived in Ukraine. Participated in rallies in Kiev, in February 2014 supported the coup, in which power passed to the opposition.
February 13 2015, Saakashvili was appointed adviser to the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko (2014-2019) and the head of the Advisory international Council of reforms (a consultative body under the President).
In February 2015, the Chief Prosecutor’s office of Georgia appealed to Ukraine with a request for the extradition of Mikhail Saakashvili. The Prosecutor General’s office of Ukraine to extradite politician refused, arguing that the request for extradition relates to the “political persecution”. In December 2015, Saakashvili was deprived of Georgian citizenship “in connection with adoption of citizenship of another state”.
29 may 2015 by the decree of the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko Saakashvili was granted Ukrainian citizenship. The next day he was appointed head of the Odessa regional state administration. His main task in his new post, Saakashvili called the fight against corruptionand the oligarchs. At the same time, he began his conflict with the Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk, members of the Cabinet which the head of the Odessa regional administration has been repeatedly accused of corruption. In the result, the Prime Minister asked Saakashvili to “get out of Ukraine”.
on 9 November the President of Ukraine signed a decree on the resignation of Saakashvili. Commenting on his departure, former Governor Odessa region stated the need for a “new political force to overthrow the current political elite.” Saakashvili created and headed the public organization “Movement of new forces” (Ukr. “Movement novih forces”), which in 2017 was transformed into the party “Movement of new forces of Mikhail Saakashvili”.
In July 2017 Saakashvili has left for the USA. On 26 July, by decree of the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko he was deprived of Ukrainian citizenship (for the text of the decree is not published). In the state border service of Ukraine said that will not allow Saakashvili to enter the country and seize a Ukrainian passport if you attempt to cross the border.
Not being able to return to Ukraine on legal grounds, 10 September 2017 Mikhail Saakashvili managed to illegally cross Polish-Ukrainian border. Together with his colleagues, he broke through the cordon of law enforcement officers at the checkpoint “shehyni” (Lviv region) on the border with Poland, where went to Lviv and then to Kiev. Later, district court of Lviv region declared Saakashvili, guilty of illegally crossing the border and fined him 3.4 thousand UAH (about $130).
the Former President of Georgia remained in Ukraine without formal legal grounds. However, on 7 November 2017, Saakashvili said that the Ukrainian migration service still gave him a document stating that his stay in the country legally. In the fall of 2017, he also filed a request to grant him political asylum, but received from the Ukrainian authorities refused.
17 Oct 2017 Saakashvili as leader of the party “Movement new forces” became one of the organizers of the termless protest action near building of the Verkhovna Rada.
Prosecutor General of Ukraine Yuriy Lutsenko has accused the protesters in the preparation of the coup.
the 3rd of December in Kiev held a mass protest “March for impeachment”, organized by the supporters of Saakashvili. The participants advocated for the adoption of the law of impeachment, and the resignation of Petro Poroshenko. According to the interior Ministry, the rally was attended by about 2,5 thousand people, according to organizers, about 50 thousand
5 December 2017 Saakashvili, was detained by the SBU on charges of cooperation with criminal groups and illegal rallies. In addition, he was accused of receiving “from Russia” of about $500 thousand., is intended��tary for funding protests to overthrow the Poroshenko administration. However, supporters of the policy by surrounding the car of the SBU, where sat Saakashvili, were able to liberate their leader.
the next day, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine reported that in regard to former head of Odessa region initiated criminal proceedings under articles 15 (“Attempt at a crime”), 28 (“Commission of crime by group of persons”) and 256 (“Promotion of members of the criminal organizations and concealment of their criminal activity”) of the Criminal code of Ukraine.
on 8 December the leader of the “Movement of new forces” was detained again. However, on 11 December the Pechersky district court of Kiev refused to put Saakashvili under house arrest, as required by the prosecution and released him under guards. The Prosecutor’s office was able to appeal the decision, and the politician was placed under house arrest from 27 January to 6 February 2018.
17 December 2017 in Kiev held a March for the impeachment of the President of Ukraine organized by the party of Saakashvili. During the event there was a collision of its members with law enforcement officers.
According to Saakashvili, “the President, who voluntarily resigned, his head bowed before the will of the people, can count on mitigation of punishment and pardon.”
4, and February 18, 2018 with the same slogans were organized the protest action “March for the future”.
the Issue of extradition.
February 9, 2018, the Minister of justice of Ukraine Pavel Petrenko said that the authorities do not see any legal obstacles to extradition proceedings the leader of the “Movement of new forces” in Georgia.
12 Feb Saakashvili, was detained in Kiev. Later, the Ukrainian State border service reported that Mikhail Saakashvili, who “was on the territory of Ukraine illegally”, was returned to Poland, where he arrived in September 2017. Press service Polish border guard confirmed that the policies adopted by the territory of the Republic. To not having the time nor the Georgian nor Ukrainian citizenship, Saakashvili received a residence permit in the Netherlands, a subject which is his spouse.
in the Spring of 2019, during the presidential campaign in Ukraine, Mikhail Saakashvili supported the candidacy of the opponent of Poroshenko — head of the Studio “Quarter-95” Vladimir Zelensky. Former President of Georgia appealed to Ukrainians on her page in Facebook, urging them to vote for Zelensky “without any preconditions”. According to Saakashvili, “the defeat of Poroshenko and his clique is a great chance for Ukraine”.
on April 21, immediately after the news of the victory of Vladimir Zelensky in the election, former leader Georgia announced that they have filed a petition for the lifting of the ban on entry to Ukrainefrom. On 22 may he wrote a letter to the new head of state with a request to return him to Ukrainian citizenship. On may 28, Vladimir Zelensky granted the request of Mikhail Saakashvili, signed a corresponding decree. May 29, Saakashvili returned to Ukraine.
July 21, 2019 Mikhail Saakashvili, together with his party “new forces” took part in the extraordinary elections to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. However, the party in Parliament was not received 0.46 percent of the vote.
In the same year, Saakashvili attempted to appeal his expulsion to Poland in 2018. However, on 19 November, 2019, Ukraine’s Supreme court declared the deportation of legal policy.
22 April 2020 on his page in Facebook, Mikhail Saakashvili announced that the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that he take the post Vice Prime Minister on reforms in the government of Denis Smagala. According to Saakashvili, the post Deputy Prime Minister he sees its main task the development of cooperation with the IMF, and strengthening of small and medium business.
24 April, the head of the Georgian government George Gakharia said that Georgia withdraws the Ambassador from Kiev, if Saakashvili will appoint Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister. Gajaria called the appointment “absolutely unacceptable”, as Saakashvili convicted in Georgia for “pretty serious crime” and declared wanted.
on 30 April it became known that the question of the appointment of Saakashvili, a member of the Ukrainian government removed from the agenda of the Verkhovna Rada. Former head of Odessa region was unable to win the support of most MPs. The head of the Pro-presidential faction “servant of the people” David Arakhamiya reported that Saakashvili will be offered another position.
