Lithuanian Foreign Minister calls Saakashvili's case "another test" for Ukraine

"As for Saakashvili, this is an internal matter of Ukraine and we believe and hope that it will be addressed within the legal framework. My expectations from the court are as follows: we hope that the judiciary will perform, as it is supposed to do within the rule of law system," Linkevicius said in Brussels on December 11, RFE/RL's Ukrainian bureau wrote.

The official expressed hope that the Ukrainian judicial system would pass this test, too.

"This will be another test, but I hope the issue will be resolved," he said, adding that the current situation in the field of fighting corruption is a challenge for Ukraine, equivalent to Russia's aggression.

"This is a challenge very painful and very important for Ukraine. Along with Russia's aggression against Ukraine, corruption there is enemy No.2  and even equivalent to this aggression," Linkevicius said.

Read alsoSaakashvili brought to Kyiv's Pechersky courtAs UNIAN reported earlier, on the evening of December 8, Saakashvili was detained and taken to the SBU remand center.

The prosecutor's office will ask the court to elect house arrest as a preventive measure against Saakashvili with an obligation to wear an ankle bracelet.

The Prosecutor General's Office declared Saakashvili wanted under three articles of the Criminal Code: an attempt on a crime (part 1 Article 15), committed by prior agreement with a group of persons (part 2 Article 28), and assistance to members of a criminal organization and concealment of their criminal activity (part 2 Article 256).

Read alsoSaakashvili has no right to call for ousting gov’t in time of war – deputy ministerProsecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko said that Saakashvili had set up protests to seize state power in Ukraine and help members of the criminal group of ex-President Viktor Yanukovych and businessman Serhiy Kurchenko in disrupting their criminal prosecution.

Saakashvili has denied wrongdoing.