Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili has stripped former President Mikheil Saakashvili of his Georgian citizenship, RFE/RL reported.
The move on December 4 comes a day after Justice Minister Tea Tsulukani recommended the action because Saakashvili also had Ukrainian citizenship.
Saakashvili has been working as the governor of Ukraine’s Odesa region since May.
Saakashvili, who introduced reforms during nearly a decade in power in Georgia following the 2003 Rose Revolution, left the ex-Soviet republic after his presidency ended in November 2013.
The government that came to power after beating his party in 2012 parliamentary elections has accused him of fraud, organization of an assault, and abuse of office — charges he denies.
Saakashvili’s United National Movement party condemned the decision, saying that the move was done to bar Saakashvili from taking part in parliamentary elections next year.