Ukraine to Deport Saakashvili to Poland After Asylum Appeal Rejected

  • Saakashvili was detained in Kiev on Monday by border officials
  • Court rejected Saakashvili’s second request for asylum

Mikheil Saakashvili in Batumi, Georgia, in 2013.

Photographer: Daro Sulakauri
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Mikheil Saakashvili, the former Georgian leader-turned Ukrainian opposition politician, lost his appeal in a Ukrainian court seeking protection and refugee status after his homeland sought extradition.

Officials of Ukraine’s migration and border-security services told Saakashvili on Monday he was to be returned to Poland, where he stayed before his most recent arrival, Oleh Slobodyan, a spokesman for the border patrol, said in a Facebook post. Officials used force to apprehend Saakashvili and had to protect themselves from his supporters, he said.