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Compiled by Etuna Tsotniashvili
Tuesday, June 30
Vandals attack Georgian Christians in Nabakevi

Armed Abkhazian separatists dispersed Georgian Christians during the Sunday liturgy in the village of Nabakevi, Gali district, Kviris Palitra reports. This region has had difficulties for the last 2-3 weeks.

“Despite threats by the Abkhazian security forces, the inhabitants of Nabakevi gathered with crosses for the divine service but the separatists would not allow this. Armed separatists attacked the Georgians and dispersed them,” Deputy of the representative of the de jure Abkhazian Government in Samegrelo - Zemo Svaneti Tornike Kilanava stated.

Kilanava said that the incident occurred right in front of Russian soldiers but they ignored it. According to Kilanava Abkhazian customs officers and frontier guards attacked the believers and Russian soldiers allowed the perpetrators to leave the so-called border.

The Media Centre of Abkhazia has confirmed the violation of the Georgian church service. Head of the Media Centre Raul Kiria said that Abkhazian separatists and Chechen "insurgents" had profaned Christian crosses. The separatists had demanded that the local population remove all crosses from the roadsides to begin with, but as there had not been time to remove all the crosses the Abkhazian separatists profaned them.

According to the Media Centre, conditions in region have been aggravated since the expulsion of Georgian monks from Kodori Gorge.



They won’t allow me to live quietly, Iashvili says

Kviris Palitra writes that member of the New Rights Irakli Iashvili states that he is not able to live quietly and conduct his business freely. According to Iashvili, although he decided to give up active political life last year the Government still slanders him.

Iashvili also commented on his brother Mikheil’s participation in the meeting between Kakha Targamadze and Levan Gachechiladze and Davit Gamkrelidze in Berlin. “My brother had two reasons for being in Berlin at that time. Firstly, he works for a French maritime trading company and has an office in Berlin, and secondly he has problems with his eyesight and his Georgian doctors had suggested he go to one of the German clinics for medical treatment. While he was leaving for Berlin he met Levan Gachechiladze, who is a friend, by chance. Levan suggested that he attend his meeting with Targamadze because he had nothing to hide, so Misha went along,” Irakli Iashvili said.