Wounded opposition leader Petriashvili questioned, tells details to police
By Messenger Staff
Monday, March 7
One of the leaders of opposition and ex-cabinet minister Alex Petriashvili, who was physically abused and shot three times by unidentified people several days ago, provided details of the attack to law enforcers several days ago.
Petriashvili’s lawyer Levan Samushia, who attended the several-hour questioning at the Republican Hospital in capital Tbilisi, said Petriashvili could clearly recall the details of the incident but he did not know the identities of his attackers.
The lawyer also stated that he and Petriashvili’s political allies believed the branded motive of the case should change.
Currently, the case is being investigated as a premeditated assault causing serious bodily harm, while Samushia and Petriashvili’s friends from the opposition Free Democrats (FD) Party believe it should be considered premeditated murder.
Petriashvili, one of the leaders of the opposition Free Democrats (FD) and Georgia’s ex-Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, was physically assaulted and shot several times by unidentified people while he visited a friend’s grave at a cemetery in Saburtalo on February 26.
Petriashvili suffered three gunshot wounds; two to his lower legs, and one in his back which had lodged near his kidney, as well as a head injury sustained by a blunt object.
He was operated on two times.
After speaking with Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili on March 1, the FD's leader, Irakli Alasania, said he was confident that law enforcers would find those responsible for the attack.
"In fact, a very encouraging conversation took place between us. Based on the information he has from the Interior Ministry, he said that the case would not remain unsolved,” Alasania said,
However, FD members stated they are dissatisfied, as the law-enforcers have not yet provided the investigation's results.
