Georgia's ex-president says Ukrainian court ruling paves way for his extradition

KIEV, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said on Monday that a Ukrainian court has rejected his political asylum request in a ruling which would pave the way for his extradition from Ukraine.

"As a result, I am losing a residence status in Ukraine," Saakashvili, now a leader of the Ukrainian political party, wrote on Facebook, calling the court's decision politically-motivated.

Earlier on the day, Kiev Administrative Court of Appeals said in a statement it has confirmed the decision of a lower court to reject a political asylum application from Saakashvili.

Saakashvili's lawyer Ruslan Chornolutsky told local reporters that he would challenge the ruling in the Ukrainian court and the European legal institutions.

Saakashvili, 50, served two terms as Georgia's president from 2004 to 2013. He acquired Ukrainian citizenship in May 2015 and was appointed governor of Odessa region.

Last year, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko revoked Saakashvili's citizenship, following allegations that he had submitted false information while applying for his Ukrainian passport.

Following the decision, Saakashvili has applied for political asylum in Ukraine, but the State Migration Service and later the Kiev District Administrative Court have rejected the request.

On Sept. 5, 2017, the Georgian Chief Prosecutor's Office asked Kiev to take measures for Saakashvili's extradition.

Last month, the Tbilisi city court found Saakashvili guilty of abusing power in 2009 during his second term as the president of Georgia and sentenced him in absentia to three years in prison. Enditem