Ex-Georgian official Kardava claims his extradition from Ukraine linked with elections

Former head of Georgia’s military police under the United National Movement (UNM) government Megis Kardava claims that his upcoming extradition from Ukraine to Georgia is connected with Georgian October 2 municipal elections. 

 

Kardava, who has been charged with abuse of authority, torture and related crimes in 11 cases, has requested the support of Georgian public defender and international organisation ‘as my safety will be at risk in Georgia.’ 

 

He was sentenced to extradition last week in Ukraine and the following trial was scheduled for today. 

 

However, the Ukrainian judge who was overseeing the extradition procedures, was found dead in his house on September 11. 

 

The judge Vitaly Pisanets was also overseeing the case of the 2016 murder in Kyiv of journalist Pavel Sheremet, who was killed by an explosive device detonated to the bottom of his car.

 

Kardava was arrested in Ukraine back in 2017 when he was trying to illegally enter the country from Romania. 

 

While in Ukraine he requested a political asylum which delayed his extradition to Georgia due to mandatory procedures. 

 

Now Kardava says that Georgian and Ukrainian officials agreed on his extradition because the extradition will boost the rating of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the forthcoming municipal race. 

 

Kardava has been on the run since 2012 when the Georgian Dream coalition defeated the UNM in the parliamentary elections. 

 

In 2014 Tbilisi City Court sentenced him to nine years in prison in absentia for torture.