The News in Brief
Friday, November 7
Ambassadors call on parties to abstain from aggression
The Ambassadors of foreign countries have called on the leaders of the radical Georgian opposition and the authorities to abstain from aggressive actions during the demonstration on Friday, one of the leaders of the opposition Giorgi Gachechiladze has told journalists.
“We talked with the Ambassadors about our plans for tomorrow. We know that Saakashvili has been asked by them to abstain from interference and provocations. In turn, we will maintain calm,” Gachechiladze said.
Gachechiladze said that the opposition politicians familiarized the diplomats with their plans.
“We will pass our demands in written form to a representative of the Administration of President Saakashvili. These include holding snap Presidential and Parliamentary elections in spring 2009, the return of TV company Imedi to the family of late businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili and the release of political prisoners – approximately 20 persons. If the authorities do not meet our demands, the country will move in the direction of confrontation and crisis,” Gachechiladze said.
The opposition politician noted that the participants in the manifestation planned to march peacefully from Rustaveli Avenue to the President’s Palace and expressed hope that there would be no provocations from the side of authorities. (Black Sea Press)
IM of Georgia gives details of controversial killing
The Interior Ministry of Georgia has given details of the death of Roin Shavadze, an intelligence officer of 23rd Senaki Brigade of the Defence Ministry of Georgia and resident of Batumi.
“On August 16th of the current year, officers of the Constitutional Security Department of the Ministry of Interior started a preliminary investigation on the basis of received information under Article 260 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, concerning reports of the illegal purchase and possession of an especially large amount of drugs by Roin Shavadze. On the same day Roin Shavadze was detained as a suspect. As a result of a personal search, and on the basis of the results of chemical expertise, 0.97 grammes of homemade heroin drug and 0.05 a gramme of buprenorphine were seized from the suspect.
“After his arrest Roin Shavadze was escorted by officers of the Adjara Main Division of the Constitutional Security Department, who intended to place him in Tbilisi temporary detention cell number 1. Whilst conducting the transportation, on the Kobuleti-Kakuti road sector, the suspect demanded that the escort officers stop the vehicle so he could attend to his personal needs. After the vehicle drove off the highway and stopped the detainee was taken out in accordance with the demand. At this point he managed to seize the police issued pistol from one of the escort officers and attempted to escape. The suspect fired towards escort officers several times, as a result of which the transportation vehicle was damaged and the threat of the endangerment of the safety of escort officers became actual. Roin Shavadze died during response fire issued by the officers,” a statement from the Interior Ministry of Georgia says.
An investigation into this incident is currently being conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara. The spot where the incident took place has been examined, medical, biological and ballistic tests have been performed and witnesses interrogated. The Office of the Georgian Ombudsman is interested in the case and continues studying it in detail.
It is clearly suggested by information now available, namely, photos presented to the Ombudsman’s Office by the Prosecutor’s Office, that Shavadze was cruelly beaten and killed. Bruises on his body and numerous wounds from firearm shots testify to this. Black Sea Press has also been informed in the Ombudsman’s Office that there are many discrepancies between the facts as stated by the Interior Ministry and the testimony of Shavadze’s family.
Shavadze’s wife says that her husband was in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone during the hostilities from August 5 to August 14. When he returned he was very nervous, and frequently said that the military had no food or water and nobody could help them. On August 16 he was called out to from the street, went out of the house and sat in a Mercedes car. He later told his wife he had been taken to the Prosecutor’s Office for interrogation. There were ten persons in the car he sat in. He was returned home half an hour later.
On the next day, at approximately 13.00, someone called Tsinstadze phoned Shavadze’s wife and said that her husband was not at the base. 15 minutes later she was phoned by someone else who said that Shavadze had been taken by some masked persons who said he was a traitor and forced to sit in a car. At 21.00 she was informed on the telephone that he was in the intensive treatment room and later it she discovered he was dead.
Shavadze’s wife said that he had numerous wounds from firearms on his body, his fingers and ribs were broken, and there were further injures to his head and body. (Black Sea Press)
European Commission proposes common European position on Russian proposal
The European Union member states must elaborate a common position with regard to a proposal by Russia concerning a new security system in Europe, says a report from the European Commission which analyzed relations between the Russian Federation (RF) and EU and was approved on Wednesday.
During the extraordinary summit on Georgia on September 1 in Brussels, leaders of the European Union decided to suspend talks on the new basic agreement between the RF and EU, as a means of supporting the Georgian party, and instructed the European Commission to prepare a comprehensive audit of relations with Russia for the RF-EU summit on November 14 in Nice.
President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev has stated that recent events in the Caucasus regrettably demonstrated that the active system of global security was unable to prevent military adventures. He proposed the elaboration of a new agreement on European security.
“The European Union must elaborate a common position concerning Russia’s proposal with regard to the new order of European security,”, it says in the European Commission’s report, which noted that “the EU is firmly interested in efforts aimed at the improvement of cooperation in these spheres during the forthcoming years.” (Black Sea Press)
The Ambassadors of foreign countries have called on the leaders of the radical Georgian opposition and the authorities to abstain from aggressive actions during the demonstration on Friday, one of the leaders of the opposition Giorgi Gachechiladze has told journalists.
“We talked with the Ambassadors about our plans for tomorrow. We know that Saakashvili has been asked by them to abstain from interference and provocations. In turn, we will maintain calm,” Gachechiladze said.
Gachechiladze said that the opposition politicians familiarized the diplomats with their plans.
“We will pass our demands in written form to a representative of the Administration of President Saakashvili. These include holding snap Presidential and Parliamentary elections in spring 2009, the return of TV company Imedi to the family of late businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili and the release of political prisoners – approximately 20 persons. If the authorities do not meet our demands, the country will move in the direction of confrontation and crisis,” Gachechiladze said.
The opposition politician noted that the participants in the manifestation planned to march peacefully from Rustaveli Avenue to the President’s Palace and expressed hope that there would be no provocations from the side of authorities. (Black Sea Press)
IM of Georgia gives details of controversial killing
The Interior Ministry of Georgia has given details of the death of Roin Shavadze, an intelligence officer of 23rd Senaki Brigade of the Defence Ministry of Georgia and resident of Batumi.
“On August 16th of the current year, officers of the Constitutional Security Department of the Ministry of Interior started a preliminary investigation on the basis of received information under Article 260 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, concerning reports of the illegal purchase and possession of an especially large amount of drugs by Roin Shavadze. On the same day Roin Shavadze was detained as a suspect. As a result of a personal search, and on the basis of the results of chemical expertise, 0.97 grammes of homemade heroin drug and 0.05 a gramme of buprenorphine were seized from the suspect.
“After his arrest Roin Shavadze was escorted by officers of the Adjara Main Division of the Constitutional Security Department, who intended to place him in Tbilisi temporary detention cell number 1. Whilst conducting the transportation, on the Kobuleti-Kakuti road sector, the suspect demanded that the escort officers stop the vehicle so he could attend to his personal needs. After the vehicle drove off the highway and stopped the detainee was taken out in accordance with the demand. At this point he managed to seize the police issued pistol from one of the escort officers and attempted to escape. The suspect fired towards escort officers several times, as a result of which the transportation vehicle was damaged and the threat of the endangerment of the safety of escort officers became actual. Roin Shavadze died during response fire issued by the officers,” a statement from the Interior Ministry of Georgia says.
An investigation into this incident is currently being conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara. The spot where the incident took place has been examined, medical, biological and ballistic tests have been performed and witnesses interrogated. The Office of the Georgian Ombudsman is interested in the case and continues studying it in detail.
It is clearly suggested by information now available, namely, photos presented to the Ombudsman’s Office by the Prosecutor’s Office, that Shavadze was cruelly beaten and killed. Bruises on his body and numerous wounds from firearm shots testify to this. Black Sea Press has also been informed in the Ombudsman’s Office that there are many discrepancies between the facts as stated by the Interior Ministry and the testimony of Shavadze’s family.
Shavadze’s wife says that her husband was in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone during the hostilities from August 5 to August 14. When he returned he was very nervous, and frequently said that the military had no food or water and nobody could help them. On August 16 he was called out to from the street, went out of the house and sat in a Mercedes car. He later told his wife he had been taken to the Prosecutor’s Office for interrogation. There were ten persons in the car he sat in. He was returned home half an hour later.
On the next day, at approximately 13.00, someone called Tsinstadze phoned Shavadze’s wife and said that her husband was not at the base. 15 minutes later she was phoned by someone else who said that Shavadze had been taken by some masked persons who said he was a traitor and forced to sit in a car. At 21.00 she was informed on the telephone that he was in the intensive treatment room and later it she discovered he was dead.
Shavadze’s wife said that he had numerous wounds from firearms on his body, his fingers and ribs were broken, and there were further injures to his head and body. (Black Sea Press)
European Commission proposes common European position on Russian proposal
The European Union member states must elaborate a common position with regard to a proposal by Russia concerning a new security system in Europe, says a report from the European Commission which analyzed relations between the Russian Federation (RF) and EU and was approved on Wednesday.
During the extraordinary summit on Georgia on September 1 in Brussels, leaders of the European Union decided to suspend talks on the new basic agreement between the RF and EU, as a means of supporting the Georgian party, and instructed the European Commission to prepare a comprehensive audit of relations with Russia for the RF-EU summit on November 14 in Nice.
President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev has stated that recent events in the Caucasus regrettably demonstrated that the active system of global security was unable to prevent military adventures. He proposed the elaboration of a new agreement on European security.
“The European Union must elaborate a common position concerning Russia’s proposal with regard to the new order of European security,”, it says in the European Commission’s report, which noted that “the EU is firmly interested in efforts aimed at the improvement of cooperation in these spheres during the forthcoming years.” (Black Sea Press)