Georgia's ex-president to challenge lost Ukrainian citizenship in court

Former Georgian President and ex-governor of Ukraine's Odessa Oblast region Mikheil Saakashvili on Tuesday voiced an intention to challenge the loss of his Ukrainian citizenship in court.

While speaking to reporters outside the Ukrainian presidential administration building, Saakashvili said he planned to file a lawsuit to the court after getting all the necessary documents from the Ukrainian authorities.

The politician said he had instructed his lawyers to submit an official request to the presidential administration and other state bodies to grant him the documents that substantiate the revocation of his citizenship.

Saakashvili, 49, who served as Georgian president from 2004 to 2013, was granted Ukrainian citizenship in May 2015 and was appointed as governor of Ukraine's southern Odessa Oblast region.

On July 26, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko revoked Saakashvili's Ukrainian citizenship over allegedly submitting false information while applying for a passport.

Saakashvili has refused to accept the loss of his Ukrainian citizenship, saying the decision to deprive him of the passport was politically motivated.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)