David Sakvarelidze
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{{Short description|Ukrainian and Georgian politician}}
{{About|the politician|the theatre director|David Sakvarelidze (director)}}
{{family name hatnote|Georgievich|Sakvarelidze|lang=Eastern Slavic}}
David Georgievich Sakvarelidze ({{lang-ka|დავით საყვარელიძე}}; {{langx|uk|Давід Георгійович Сакварелідзе}}; born 15 September 1981, Tbilisi) is a Ukrainian{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} and former Georgian politician, prosecutor, and attorney.
Biography
File:Сакварелідзе, Саакашвілі, Порошенко, Ковальчук, Лордкіпанідзе.jpg]]
He was Deputy Chief Prosecutor of Georgia from 2008 to 2012. He pursued a zero-tolerance policy for crime.{{cite web|url=http://icrua.org/en/english-the-georgian-reformer-david-sakvarelidze-became-the-deputy-attorney-general-of-ukraine-2/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170330083508/http://icrua.org/en/english-the-georgian-reformer-david-sakvarelidze-became-the-deputy-attorney-general-of-ukraine-2/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 30, 2017|title=МЦР|website=icrua.org|accessdate=5 December 2017}}{{citation needed|date=December 2024}} In early June 2011, Sakvarelidze said he has requested the Tbilisi City Court issue an arrest warrant for Badri Bitsadze, who was accused of organizing attacks on policemen during anti-governmental protests in May 2011 and did not pay 100,000 Laris for bail.{{cite web |url=http://pik.tv/en/news/story/13042-Georgian-Prosecutor-General-Demands-Badri-Bitsadzes-Arrest |title=Georgian Prosecutor General Demands Badri Bitsadze's Arrest - Kanal PIK TV |accessdate=2011-07-26 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324122319/http://pik.tv/en/news/story/13042-Georgian-Prosecutor-General-Demands-Badri-Bitsadzes-Arrest |archivedate=2012-03-24 }}
Sakvarelidze was an MP in the Parliament of Georgia, representing the opposition United National Movement party, between 2012 and 2015. On 16 February 2015, Sakvarelidze was appointed as Deputy General Prosecutor of Ukraine.{{cite news|title=Georgian MP from UNM Appointed as Ukraine's Deputy Chief Prosecutor|url=http://civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=28050|accessdate=16 February 2015|work=Civil Georgia|date=16 February 2015}} Sakvarelidze was also granted Ukrainian citizenship.{{cite news|title=Georgian-born Sakvarelidze Sacked by Ukraine's Disgraced Prosecutor General|url=http://georgiatoday.ge/news/3419/Georgian-born-Sakvarelidze-Sacked-by-Ukraine’s-Disgraced-Prosecutor-General|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331215327/http://georgiatoday.ge/news/3419/Georgian-born-Sakvarelidze-Sacked-by-Ukraine%E2%80%99s-Disgraced-Prosecutor-General|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 31, 2016|accessdate=27 July 2017|work=Georgia Today|date=31 March 2017}} In office he accused colleagues of taking bribes to protect the freezing of assets of allegedly gained from corruption.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/12/the-money-machine-how-a-high-profile-corruption-investigation-fell-apart|title=The money machine: how a high-profile corruption investigation fell apart|first=Oliver|last=Bullough|newspaper=The Guardian |date=12 April 2017|publisher=|accessdate=5 December 2017|via=www.theguardian.com}} In March 2016, he was fired from the General Prosecutor office charged with a “gross violation of the rules of prosecutorial ethics”.
Sakvarelidze is a key ally of Mikheil Saakashvili. Sakvarelidze created a new political party in autumn 2016 that claims Saakashvili as its “ideologist.”[https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/08/world/europe/mikheil-saakashvili-resigns-ukraine.html Mikheil Saakashvili Resigns Post in Ukraine, Citing Corruption] New York Times At the end of 2016, he joined Saakashvili's Movement of New Forces party.{{cite web|url=http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2016/11/27/7128092/|title=Саакашвілі провів збори свого "Руху". Вимагав перевиборів|website=Українська правда|accessdate=5 December 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://pda.pravda.com.ua/news/id_7150730/|title=Новини - Українська правда|website=pda.pravda.com.ua|accessdate=5 December 2017}}
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Controversy
On 27 February 2022, during an interview with the BBC, Sakvarelidze faced backlash on social media for his comments in regards to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Sakvarelidze stated that the war situation unfolding in Ukraine was "very emotional" for him because "European people with blue eyes and blonde hair" were being killed every day.{{cite web |title=Ukrainian official's remark on people with 'blue eyes and blonde hair' being killed sparks racism row |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/world/russia-ukraine-war/story/russia-ukraine-war-news-latest-racism-row-white-skin-blue-eyes-killed-1918857-2022-02-28 |website=India Today |access-date=1 March 2022 |language=en |date=28 February 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Ellisson |first1=Sarah |last2=Andrews |first2=Travis M. |title='They seem so like us': In depicting Ukraine's plight, some in media use offensive comparisons |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2022/02/27/media-ukraine-offensive-comparisons/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=1 March 2022 |date=27 February 2022}}
References
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Category:Politicians from Tbilisi
Category:Ukrainian prosecutors
Category:Emigrants from Georgia (country) to Ukraine
Category:Naturalized citizens of Ukraine
Category:21st-century Ukrainian politicians
Category:United National Movement (Georgia) politicians