(11 Dec 2017) Former Georgian President turned Ukrainian opposition leader Mikheil Saakashvili appeared in a court in Kiev on Monday.
While waiting for the judge, Saakashvili spoke to the media, reiterating his stance that his arrest was political.
After leading several rallies in Kiev, Saakashvili was arrested Friday on allegations that he colluded with Ukrainian businessmen tied to Russia to topple the president.
Saakashvili claims the charges result from long-time hostility between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Thousands of Saakashvili's supporters marched across the Ukrainian capital Sunday, demanding his release and calling for Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to be impeached.
The protests came amid popular anger over Poroshenko's failure to oversee progress in battling corruption.
Concerns over corruption were a factor in months of protests that drove Ukraine's former Russia-leaning president from office in February 2014.
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