Editor’s Note: The following English-language transcript was released on July 26 by ex-Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, whose Ukrainian citizenship has been revoked by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
Ex-Ukrainian President Mikheil Saakashvili records a video message denouncing President Petro Poroshenko for revoking his Ukrainian citizenship.
I am a simple Ukrainian! Today I am being subjected to the same approaches that are used by Ukraine’s prosecutors or bureaucrats against regular Ukrainians, whose rights are spat upon.
I have lived in Ukraine for more than 13 years, I participated in three revolutions, all of them in Ukraine: the Revolution on the Granite (1991) and two “Maidan” revolutions! I have only one citizenship, that of Ukraine and I will not be deprived of it!
Now there is an attempt under way to force me to become a refugee. This will not happen! I will not remain anywhere else and will not change status! I will fight for my legal right to return to Ukraine!
(Ukrainian President Petro) Poroshenko decided to deprive me of my citizenship in an underhanded way, while I am out of the country!
As soon as those in power realized that the opposition is unifying in order to come out into the streets this fall and put an end to their oligarchic pact, their fear overcame their reason! Poroshenko has spit upon the Constitution, of which he is supposed to be the guarantor!
Poroshenko traveled to Georgia not in order to establish ties between the two countries, but in order to come to another agreement, this time between two oligarchic regimes, that of the Ukrainian Poroshenko and the biggest shareholder in Gazprom, the pro-Russian (Bidzina) Ivanishvili.
They have thought up that, supposedly, new evidence in my case has been provided to the General (Prosecutor’s Office) of Ukraine, but this is just another lie and a trick. Since I was given citizenship no new case has been initiated against me in Georgia! Those fabricated cases that have been initiated, these accusations have not been recognized by any country other than Georgia!
Two days ago this president, on whom the Maidan once placed its hopes, changed the composition of the Citizenship Committee. On July 24 he appointed new people to this Commission in order to have a completely subservient commission that would agree to any of the president’s whims.
Well, Petro Oleksiyovych Poroshenko, I can only say to you that you have poor advisers.
With this decree of yours you have decreed, for yourself and for your government, inevitable failure. If, before this, you could have expected to draw out the time before the next elections, now you can only dream about this.
Today, you, Petro Oleksiyovych Poroshenko, have crossed a red line. Today the entire country has understood the price of your promises “to live anew.” Now, doubtless, you, as was the case with your predecessor, will be tempted to try and hold on to power at any price. You may try this, just remember, they are waiting for you in Russia! Ukrainians have twice dealt with this pestilence and they will not stop until they bring truly new politicians to power!
I adopted Ukrainian citizenship in order to fight for reforms, to fight for the successful future of Ukraine, on which the future of my own native Georgia depends as well. For me citizenship is not an empty concept. Every day that I held the passport of a citizen of Ukraine I worked hard in order that Ukraine would be successful and become a European super-state!
I am more of a Ukrainian than many of the current deputies. I love Ukraine with all my heart and I will continue the fight here, in our Ukraine, without regard to any obstacles!
