Ukrainian Political Parties Demand Return of Mikheil Saakashvili

Ukrainian political parties are demanding that Mikheil Saakashvili be returned to Ukraine. The statement has been published on Saakashvili’s Facebook page; it is a joint statement signed by the following political parties: Movement of New Forces; Democratic Alliance; Civic Position; People’s Control; The European Party of Ukraine; Batkivishchyna; The Association Samopomich; Svoboda; and the civic movement Khyvilia.  

The statement reads: 

"At the start of this week, on February 12, 2018, President Poroshenko and the law enforcement agencies he controls conducted an overtly anti-Constitutional and illegal action, the brutal expulsion from the country of the Ukrainian politician and leader of the “Movement of New Forces” political party, the third president of Georgia, Mykhailo Saakashvili. 

In order to rid itself of one of the opposition’s leaders the government committed an act of politically-motivated punishment, violated principles of human rights and inflicted great damage to Ukraine’s international reputation. This crime must be investigated. All the officials who violated the law and their official obligations should end up among the accused.

We demand that Mykhailo Saakashvili’s return to Ukraine be provided for, giving him the opportunity to defend his rights and dignity in Ukrainian courts, in accordance with the norms of Ukrainian laws and international law.

We appeal to all Ukrainians to support our declaration. Ukraine’s authorities have allowed themselves to treat in this fashion a politician who is known around the world. This means that every Ukrainian citizen cannot feel safe and expect legal justice. We, as in the times of Yanukovych, find ourselves on the verge of a dictatorship. 

By Máté Földi

We call on the world’s leaders and diplomats to give their principled assessment of the political repressions to which Ukraine’s government has resorted. The practice of designating the guilty not in the courts but through public statements by the General Procurator, the practice of driving those who are inconvenient out of the country should be relegated forever to the Soviet past. 

We recognize that President Poroshenko has stepped onto the path of exchanging laws for arbitrariness. We warn that any further attempts to repress opposition leaders and activists will be met by our consolidated and firm response.”