The News in Brief
Wednesday, April 13
Megis Kardava charged for Roman Dumbadze’s assassination
Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor has charged the former head of military police, Megis Kardava, for General Roman Dumbadze’s assassination, Kardava’s lawyer Malkhaz Velijanashvili says.
Velijanashvili said at today’s press-conference that the case is marked as top secret. However, as the Prosecutor claims, Megis Kardava ordered the murder of Dumbadze because he thought he was a traitor.
Velijanashvili says this proves once again that the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office is fulfilling Russia’s orders.
If Megis Kardava is officially charged, Russia has the right to request his extradition, because Roman Dumbadze was killed on Russian territory.
Roman Dumbadze was a Georgian military commander who led a mutiny during 2004 crisis in Adjara. He was detained and imprisoned by Georgian authorities but released during 2008 war with Russia and handed over to Russian authorities in exchange for the release of twelve Georgian military servicemen detained by the Russian forces.
He lived in Russia until May 21 2012, when he was shot dead. (IPN)
One person detained at South Ossetian boundary line
Erosi Takadze, 43, was detained by Russian border police at the South Ossetian administrative boundary line (ABL) on Saturday, 9 April.
According to Mr Takadze’s relatives in the village of Kirbali, which is located in Gori region right next to the ABL, he was herding cattle in the Georgia-controlled territory at the time of the detention.
Gori’s gamgebeli (‘head of local administration’) Davit Oniashvili visited Mr Takadze’s family and promised the authorities that he would do everything in their power in order to bring him back, InterPressNews reported.
Mr Takadze was accused by South Ossetian authorities of ‘illegally crossing the border’. Rustavi 2 reportedthat on Sunday 10 April he contacted his mother and asked her to keep calm.
While South Ossetian authorities installed fences on some sections of the ABL, the boundary line remains for the most part arbitrary. (DF watch)
Russia increasing the number employees at the consulate in Georgia
Moscow says the number of Georgian citizens who want to receive Russian visas is increasing and it is for this reason that the number of Russian employees at the embassy in Georgia should be increased too.
As Russian media informs, this is a statement that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov, made yesterday.
“The number of those who want to receive Russian visas are increasing and that is why we ask for help from our Swiss colleagues. We need to increase the number of employees at the consulate in Georgia,” - Lavrov said. (IPN)
US helps Georgia ensure border security
The United States (US) is helping Georgia to better protect its state borders and reduce illegal drug importation into the country.
The US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) assisted Georgia’s Border Police to develop K9 (sniffer dogs) centre near Tbilisi International Airport in the outskirt of the capital city.
Earlier on April 12, Georgia’s Interior Minister Giorgi Mgebrishvili and US Ambassador to Georgia Ian Kelly officially launched the construction of an administrative building at the new centre.
The officials believe this partnership between the relevant agencies of the two countries will help Georgia ensure its border security and meet international standards.
"The DTRA has started to actively participate in developing and modernising Georgia’s land borders,” Mgebrishvili said.
"This will greatly contribute to ensuring security at our state borders, which is a top priority of the Georgian Government in the process of its Euro-Atlantic integration.”
The Minister noted a new phase of the project would soon begin, in which the US will help Georgia develop infrastructure at the K9 centre. This will include installing cages, monitoring systems and proper technical equipment for the US-trained detection dogs.
"The Border Police of the Interior Ministry will also be given vehicles and other technical equipment,” Mgebrishvili said.
Ambassador Kelly assessed the projects as "just another example of the tremendous investment” that the US had made in support Georgia’s sovereignty and "ensuring its success as a stable, prosperous democracy”.
"We, of course, believe very much in Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations and I think this is just one more part of our support for Georgia to attain [its] aspirations,” Kelly said. (Agenda.ge)
Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor has charged the former head of military police, Megis Kardava, for General Roman Dumbadze’s assassination, Kardava’s lawyer Malkhaz Velijanashvili says.
Velijanashvili said at today’s press-conference that the case is marked as top secret. However, as the Prosecutor claims, Megis Kardava ordered the murder of Dumbadze because he thought he was a traitor.
Velijanashvili says this proves once again that the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office is fulfilling Russia’s orders.
If Megis Kardava is officially charged, Russia has the right to request his extradition, because Roman Dumbadze was killed on Russian territory.
Roman Dumbadze was a Georgian military commander who led a mutiny during 2004 crisis in Adjara. He was detained and imprisoned by Georgian authorities but released during 2008 war with Russia and handed over to Russian authorities in exchange for the release of twelve Georgian military servicemen detained by the Russian forces.
He lived in Russia until May 21 2012, when he was shot dead. (IPN)
One person detained at South Ossetian boundary line
Erosi Takadze, 43, was detained by Russian border police at the South Ossetian administrative boundary line (ABL) on Saturday, 9 April.
According to Mr Takadze’s relatives in the village of Kirbali, which is located in Gori region right next to the ABL, he was herding cattle in the Georgia-controlled territory at the time of the detention.
Gori’s gamgebeli (‘head of local administration’) Davit Oniashvili visited Mr Takadze’s family and promised the authorities that he would do everything in their power in order to bring him back, InterPressNews reported.
Mr Takadze was accused by South Ossetian authorities of ‘illegally crossing the border’. Rustavi 2 reportedthat on Sunday 10 April he contacted his mother and asked her to keep calm.
While South Ossetian authorities installed fences on some sections of the ABL, the boundary line remains for the most part arbitrary. (DF watch)
Russia increasing the number employees at the consulate in Georgia
Moscow says the number of Georgian citizens who want to receive Russian visas is increasing and it is for this reason that the number of Russian employees at the embassy in Georgia should be increased too.
As Russian media informs, this is a statement that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, Sergey Lavrov, made yesterday.
“The number of those who want to receive Russian visas are increasing and that is why we ask for help from our Swiss colleagues. We need to increase the number of employees at the consulate in Georgia,” - Lavrov said. (IPN)
US helps Georgia ensure border security
The United States (US) is helping Georgia to better protect its state borders and reduce illegal drug importation into the country.
The US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) assisted Georgia’s Border Police to develop K9 (sniffer dogs) centre near Tbilisi International Airport in the outskirt of the capital city.
Earlier on April 12, Georgia’s Interior Minister Giorgi Mgebrishvili and US Ambassador to Georgia Ian Kelly officially launched the construction of an administrative building at the new centre.
The officials believe this partnership between the relevant agencies of the two countries will help Georgia ensure its border security and meet international standards.
"The DTRA has started to actively participate in developing and modernising Georgia’s land borders,” Mgebrishvili said.
"This will greatly contribute to ensuring security at our state borders, which is a top priority of the Georgian Government in the process of its Euro-Atlantic integration.”
The Minister noted a new phase of the project would soon begin, in which the US will help Georgia develop infrastructure at the K9 centre. This will include installing cages, monitoring systems and proper technical equipment for the US-trained detection dogs.
"The Border Police of the Interior Ministry will also be given vehicles and other technical equipment,” Mgebrishvili said.
Ambassador Kelly assessed the projects as "just another example of the tremendous investment” that the US had made in support Georgia’s sovereignty and "ensuring its success as a stable, prosperous democracy”.
"We, of course, believe very much in Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic aspirations and I think this is just one more part of our support for Georgia to attain [its] aspirations,” Kelly said. (Agenda.ge)