Azerbaijan refuses to extradite Ex-President Saakashvili
By Tatia Megeneishvili
Thursday, April 30
Azerbaijan refused to extradite Ex-President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, to Tbilisi after Saakashvili arrived in Baku on April 28.
Saakashvili is wanted by Georgian law-enforcement bodies. He faces multiple criminal charges, which the ex-President denies and describes as politically motivated.
Due to the charges the Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia has asked the Azerbaijani side to detain and extradite Saakashvili.
“We had information that Saakashvili was going to visit Baku and that is why we sent a request about his extradition,” said Head of the Chief Prosecutor’s Office Press Service Natia Sukhiashvili.
The demand of extradition from the side of Azerbaijanian political analysts was estimated as inappropriate.
Political Analyst Ilgar Valizade said that the Georgian side knew about Saakashvili’s plan.
“The former President of Georgia publically stated that he was going to visit Azerbaijan. Baku has no reasons to extradite Saakashvili. Also, he is not an internationally wanted criminal. He has the status of a guest in Baku and there is no chance that Azerbaijan will extradite him,” stated Valizade.
Saakashvili himself in the interview with haqqin.az said that the Georgian side tried to hinder his visit to Baku.
Member of the Majority Gogi Topadze said that Tbilisi cannot restrict Baku from hosting Saakashvili.
Within the frames of visit Saakashvili met with the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Baku. The meeting between Saakashvili and Aliyev was held behind the closed doors for over an hour.
Saakashvili also attended the international conference organized by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center.
