SUPPORTERS of Ukraine’s top opposition politician have clashed with police trying to arrest him for a second time at a tent camp outside the parliament building in Kiev.
Ukrainian authorities accuse Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgia’s former president and now an anti-corruption crusader in Ukraine, of colluding with Ukrainian businessmen to topple President Petro Poroshenko.
Saakashvili said he will not turn himself in, though prosecutors were welcome to see him at the camp outside the Supreme Rada, where about 100 supporters gathered.
“I’m ready to host their investigators here at the camp,” he said.
“From the very beginning they refused to register my party, then stripped me of my citizenship, then lied. Shame on you.”
It was the police’s second unsuccessful attempt to arrest Saakashvili in as many days.
Yesterday, police detained him at his home, but he escaped with help from crowds who had gathered to protest.
Protester Igor Ognyov, from the eastern city of Sumy, said police stormed the camp before dawn today.
“They burst into the tent and started beating everyone with their hands and batons,” said Ognyov, whose head was bandaged and his face covered with blood.
Two protesters and 11 officers were injured in today's scuffles in Kiev, police said.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here