Saakashvili’s extradition topic closed – ruling party head


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Front News Georgia
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling party, on Wednesday excluded any consultations with Kyiv over the transfer of Mikheil Saakashvili, the former president of Georgia who currently holds Ukrainian citizenship.
The press comment came following Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s accusing Tbilisi on Monday of “killing” Saakashvili on the instructions of Moscow and saying Giorgi Zakarashvili, the Georgian ambassador, would be summoned and sent back to Georgia for consultations over extradition.
Hailing Zakarashvili’s refusal to leave Kyiv following Russia’s invasion in February 2022, Kobakhidze said Kyiv’s move was “unfortunate, insulting and regrettable”, adding Tbilisi wished to maintain a “one-sided friendship” with Ukraine.
“No consultations are possible over Saakashvili”, he stressed.
Saakashvili early on Monday accused the Georgian government of damaging his health, while joining a trial hearing involving him in Tbilisi city court, with the authorities accusing the former official of “manipulating” with his health, “not following” the doctors’ instructions “to look bad and escape justice”.
They also say the May ruling by the European Court of Human Rights – which rejected Saakashvili’s transfer abroad on health grounds – also confirmed the “campaign on his ill-treatment” in custody was “fake”.
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Irakli Kobakhidze