Ukraine' ex-president avoids pre-trial detention as West warns against score settling

Supporters of Ukraine's former President Petro Poroshenko, who is suspected of abuse of office, hold a rally near the building of a presidential administration in Kyiv, Ukraine June 18, 2020. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian prosecutors dropped a demand on Thursday for former President Petro Poroshenko to be taken into custody while he awaits trial in a criminal case he says is politically motivated.

Thousands of flag-waving supporters greeted Poroshenko when he arrived at a Kyiv court for a hearing on what measures to take before Poroshenko is tried on charges stemming from suspicions that he issued an illegal decree in 2018 on the appointment of a deputy head of the foreign intelligence service.