ACCORD – Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation (Author): “a-5175 (ACC-GEO-5175)”, Document #1255542

a-5175 (ACC-GEO-5175)

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Verbindungen der Einheit Alpha bzw. des Staatssicherheitsministeriums zum Attentat

Das USDOS erwähnt in seinem Menschenrechtsbericht zu 1995 ein Attentat auf den georgischen Präsidenten Schewardnadse, für das das Ministerium für Staatssicherheit und die Mchedrioni verantwortlich gemacht worden seien:

“The Government and the MVD [Ministry of Interior] accused senior figures in the SGB [state security service, formerly KGB] and the Mkhedrioni of carrying out the assassination attempt against then Chairman Shevardnadze on August 29.” (USDOS, März 1996)

Der georgische Fernsehsender Imedi TV zeigte im Mai 2006 ein Portrait von Igor Giorgadze (andere Schreibweisen: Georgadze, Giorgadse), dem ehemaligen georgischen Minister für Staatssicherheit, dem die Planung des Attentates auf Schewardnadse im Jahr 1995 vorgeworfen wird. Laut Transkription dieser Sendung durch BBC Monitoring wurden im Rahmen des Portraits Geständnisse von mehreren Alpha-Mitarbeitern gezeigt, in denen diese angeben, den Anschlag im Auftrag von Giorgadze durchgeführt zu haben. In einem späteren Interview widerruft einer der Mitarbeiter das Geständnis, da es unter Folter erzwungen worden sei:

“In the final comments from the interview recorded in Moscow, Giorgadze suggests that he was accused of masterminding the 1995 assassination attempt because Shevardnadze saw him as a rival. "Shevardnadze was worried that he would not win the November 1995 elections if I was in opposition to him," Giorgadze says.

Several members of the Alpha and Omega special units, set up by Giorgadze, who were arrested after the attack, said that they had carried it out on his orders.

Archive footage of a confession by one of them, Guram Papukashvili, is shown, in which he says that he was told by Giorgadze to plant explosives in the car that exploded in parliament's courtyard, slightly wounding Shevardnadze.

Papukashvili is then interviewed after his release from prison, saying that he made the confession under torture.” (Imedi TV, 28. Mai 2006)

Folgen des Attentates bis Jänner 1996

Im Oktober 1995 wurde in „Current Digest of the Post-Soviet Press“ von der Entlassung von Igor Georgadze, dem Leiter des Staatssicherheitsdienstes, berichtet. Weiters heißt es, dass die Einheiten „Alpha“ und „Omega“ nicht mehr dem Sicherheitsministerium unterstellt sein würden, sondern direkt dem Präsidenten unterstellt würden. Außerdem sei Temur Khachishvili, der stellvertretende Leiter des Sicherheitsdienstes, verhaftet worden. Khachishvili sei außerdem ein Stellverteter des Vorsitzenden der Mchedrioni. Weiters sei Georgy Gelashvili, der Vorsitzende des Rettungskorps („Corps for the Salvation of Georgia”) verhaftet worden. Dieses Rettungskorps sei eine Nebenorganisation der Mchedrioni, der eine Beteiligung am Attentat vorgeworfen würde:

“Over the past weekend, quite a few events occurred in Georgia in connection with the explosion that roared through the courtyard of the parliament building last week. Eduard Shevardnadze relieved Igor Georgadze of his duties as chief of Georgia's Security Service. In commenting on his dismissal, Mr. Georgadze said that it was prompted by purely political motives and that his departure is to the advantage of those forces that are struggling against the guardians of law and order. In response, Eduard Shevardnadze said in a radio interview that Georgadze was dismissed because of the passivity of the service he commanded, which has not uncovered the perpetrators of a single terrorist act. And as far as political squabbles are concerned, Georgadze himself has said more than once that there are no disagreements between him and the leader of Georgia. Mr. Shevardnadze announced at a meeting of parliament that the duties of head of the Security Service will be temporarily taken over by Maj. Gen. Avtandil Ioseliani, first deputy head of the service. Eduard Shevardnadze has also decided to remove an assault brigade and the Alpha and Omega special forces units from the control of the Security Service and place them under the control of the head of state as the commander in chief of the republic's armed forces.

Another event of no small importance was the arrest Saturday evening in Tbilisi of Georgy Gelashvili, chairman of the Corps for the Salvation of Georgia, and Temur Khachishvili, deputy head of the Security Service, who is also a deputy to Dzhaba Ioseliani, honorary chairman of Mkhedrioni. The Salvation Corps is an outgrowth of the Mkhedrioni opposition organization, against which, following the attempt on the head of state's life, an active campaign has been launched to implicate it in the terrorist act.” (Current Digest of the Post-Soviet Press, 4. Oktober 1995)

Radio Russia sendete im September 1995 in Interview mit Igor Giorgadze, dem entlassenen Minister für Staatssicherheit, in dem dieser angab, dass er in Moskau sei, und dass einige seiner Kollegen unter verschiedenen Anklagepunkten verfolgt würden. Einige Mitarbeiter des Staatssicherheitsministeriums seien gezwungen worden, Georgien zu verlassen:

“[8] Excerpts from report by Radio Russia Presenter Let us now recall events which took place on 29th August this year. There was an explosion on the premises of the Georgian parliament, after which Head of State Eduard Shevardnadze dismissed the head of the Security Service, Igor Giorgadze. Some of the Russian mass media have blamed Giorgadze for a series of terrorist acts in Georgia over the past six months...What does the former head of the Georgian Security Service, Igor Giorgadze, think about this himself?

Interviewer Igor Panteleymonovich, rumours are rife that you have been arrested. What is happening in Georgia in reality? Giorgadze Following my removal from the post of head of the Security Service, a campaign has begun in which a major part is being played by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the interior minister Shota Kviraia himself. They are creating uproar, trying to point a finger at the Security Service and accuse it of organizing a series of terrorist acts which have taken place on Georgian territory recently. From the point of view of the political struggle, there is nothing new about it. These are tested methods which are used in politics. I have not been arrested. I am now in Moscow on my way to another place where I have things to attend to. However, a number of my colleagues are being persecuted. Criminal proceedings have been instituted on various charges, ranging from possession of illegal arms to illegal commercial activity and so on. A number of former employees of the Security Service who were considered and are still considered to be people from my team have been forced to leave Georgia.I have not been arrested and have no intention of being arrested. Firstly, there are no grounds for that. Secondly, I have sufficient professionalism and legal training to avoid arbitrary arrest - such arrests are common - or elimination from the political scene. Q Many people thought that your removal would be followed by armed clashes. A People displaying loyalty to the party and the authorities have been conducting a propaganda campaign and claiming that Giorgadze has powerful, well-trained and well-organized armed structures at his disposal. These structures include the special purpose brigade of the State Security Service and the Alpha and Omega antiterrorist special units. They are indeed highly professional units, capable of solving the most difficult tasks in a modern way. The opinion was shaped among the public that, as soon as Giorgadze was removed from his post, he would start an armed uprising, coup and so on. There is a Kitovani syndrome in Georgia. Once you are sacked, put your cannon in the street and fight to regain your post. This is not the case at present. This is neither part of the mentality of what is in principle a law-abiding Security Service, nor my way of dealing with political problems and problems concerning the state system in general. I have declared this more than once in the past and have now proved it in practice...” (Radio Russia, 19. September 1995)

Agence France Presse (AFP) berichtete im Dezember 1995, dass die Antiterroreinheit Alpha aufgelöst worden sei, da mehrere ihrer Mitglieder angeklagt seien, am Attentat gegen Schewardnadse beteiligt gewesen zu sein. Direkt nach dem Anschlag sei Alpha zunächst der direkten Kontrolle des Präsidenten unterstellt worden. Unter anderem seien die Nummer 2 des Staatssicherheitsminsteriums, Tamur Khachiashvili, und der Alpha-Kommandant Guela Papuashvili verhaftet worden. Der ehemalige Chef des Staatssicherheitsminsteriums, Igor Giorgadze, werde international gesucht:

“Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze has dissolved an elite forces unit linked to an assassination attempt on him in late August, state security head Avtandil Iosseliani said Saturday. The anti-terrorist Alpha force was disbanded because some of its members are charged with taking part in an August 29 car bomb attack in which Shevardnadze suffered minor injuries, Iosseliani added, cited by ITAR-TASS news agency.

It had been run by state security SGB, successor to the Soviet-era KGB, but was placed under the president's direct authority immediately after the attack which was itself followed up by a wave of arrests. Those detained included SGB number two Tamur Khachiashvili and Alpha force commander Guela Papuashvili while an international warrant has been issued for former SGB boss Igor Giorgadze. Iosseliani said the Alpha force would be reformed in the near future after checks to make sure anyone connected with the assassination attempt was rooted out. Another man implicated in the car bomb attack, warlord and former delegate Dzhoba Iosseliani, was arrested in mid-November after losing his parliamentary immunity when he failed to get re-elected. Shevardnadze, who had served three years as president, was re-elected to his post on November 5 with more than 70 percent of the vote.” (AFP, 2. Dezember 1995)

Ähnliches berichtete auch die New York Times am 3. Dezember 1995:

“President Eduard Shevardnadze of Georgia has decided to disband an elite antiterrorist unit because it was found to have been involved in an assassination attempt against him, the Acting Security Minister, Avtandil Ioseliani, said today.

Mr. Ioseliani said that one of the senior officers from the security unit, called Alpha, assembled the explosive device that blew up a car on Aug. 29 while Mr. Shevardnadze's motorcade was passing.

He said other members of the group were also involved in the attack, which Mr. Shevardnadze escaped with cuts and bruises, and that a new security organization would be formed. Alpha is a part of the security ministry whose former leader, Igor Giorgadze, was dismissed after the incident. The police have said Mr. Giorgadze, who is now believed to be in Moscow, masterminded the attack.” (The New York Times, 3. Dezember 1995)

Georgian Radio sendete am 29. Dezember 1995 eine Stellungnahme des neuen Staatssicherheitsministers, in dem dieser eine Reihe von Personen aufzählt, die im Zusammenhang mit dem Attentat verhaftet worden seien, darunter Temur Khachishvili, den ehemaligen stellvertretenden Leiter des Sicherheitsdienstes, Papuashvili, der Leiter von Giorgadses persönlicher Leibwache und Kommandant der Alpha-Einheit, Basashvili, der stellvertretende Leiter der Alpha-Einheit, und Papukashvili, der Leiter einer Alpha-Unterabteilung:

“Here is a statement by the collegium of the Georgian Ministry of State Security, which we received from Kontakt news agency.

The collegium of the former Georgian Security Service issued a statement on 26th June 1995 saying that the critical attitude to the work of the service by the authorities and society was unacceptable. The collegium threatened to take lawful action with the help of a special armed unit if the attitude did not change. Further developments revealed the real author of that irresponsible statement . It was a personal statement by Igor Giorgadze [the then head of the Security Service]... Only after the terrorist act of 29th August did it become clear what he meant by lawful action - illegal commercial activity, a close union with the mafia and the Mkhedrioni [dissolved paramilitary group], a series of terrorist acts and, eventually, a coup d'etat by assassinating the head of state. Temur Khachishvili, former deputy head of the Security Service; Papuashvili, head of Giorgadze's personal security and commander of the Alpha special-purpose unit; Basashvili, deputy commander of the Alpha unit; Papukashvili, head of an Alpha subunit; Kvezereli, commander of the Omega special-purpose unit; Gogitishvili, head of an Omega subunit and Gogitidze, an Omega member, have been remanded in custody in connection with the terrorist act. Igor Giorgadze, currently at large, has himself revealed his true colours and political aims. We knew it before, but now it has been proved that Giorgadze has slandered the head of state, the president and other representatives of the authorities.[…]” (Georgian Radio, 29. Dezember 1995)

Der Prozess im Jahr 1998

Associated Press (AP) berichtete im November 1998 von der Verurteilung von 15 Mitgliedern der Mchedrioni wegen der Planung des Anschlags auf Präsident Schewardnadse im August 1995. Der ehemalige Leiter der Mchedrioni, Dzhaba Ioseliani, sei zu 11 Jahren Gefängnis verurteilt worden, der ehemalige stellvertretende Sicherheitsminister Temur Khachishvili sei zu 15 Jahren Gefängnis verurteilt worden, und 13 andere Mchedrioni-Mitglieder seien zu Gefängnisstrafen zwischen sieben und 15 Jahren verurteilt worden:

“Unidentified attackers threw a grenade in the window of a political group's headquarters Tuesday, hours before 15 members of the group were sentenced for an assassination attempt against Georgia's president. Nearly a year after the trial began, Georgia's Supreme Court sentenced the ''Horsemen'' group's former leader, Dzhaba Ioseliani, to 11 years in prison. Former Deputy Security Minister Temur Khachishvili was sentenced to 15 years in prison, and 13 other men of the Horsemen, or Mkhedrioni, received prison terms from seven to 15 years. The men were convicted for masterminding an Aug. 29, 1995, bomb attack on the motorcade of Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze, in which the Georgian leader was cut by flying glass. The trial began last December. Ioseliani and his colleagues, who denied the accusations, forced delays in the trial by going on hunger strikes and shouting in the courtroom. Hours before the Supreme Court was expected to hand down the sentences, a grenade blast seriously damaged the headquarters of the Horsemen group. The overnight attacks injured a security guard, said Interior Ministry spokeswoman Maya Mosidze. The Horsemen vowed after the sentencing to step up attacks on Georgian authorities and strengthen its own infrastructure, said Tornike Berishvili, a member of the group's governing body. Ioseliani, who helped Shevardnadze return to power in the former Soviet republic in 1992, split with the president three years later after Georgia's government outlawed the Horsemen, then an armed militia, for alleged involvement in a number of crimes. Ioseliani is one of Georgia's most enigmatic figures, a convicted robber turned playwright and university professor, who then became heavily enmeshed in Georgian politics.” (AP, 10. November 1998)

In einer Meldung von Kavkasia-Press vom Oktober 1998 - also noch vor dem Urteilsspruch - werden als Angeklagte „Mitglieder der Mchedrioni und des Sicherheitsdienstes des Präsidenten“ genannt. Dabei werden auch die Namen von mehreren Angeklagten aufgezählt, unter anderem Giga Gelashvili, der Vorsitzende des aufgelösten Rettungskorps (hier als „rescue corps“ bezeichnet), Jaba Ioseliani, der Gründer der Mchedrioni, Temur Khachishvili, ehemaliger stellvertetender Minister für Staatssicherheit, Temur Kurdiani (ohne Funktionsbezeichnung), Mamuka Oshkhereli, Mitglied der Präsidentengarde, Gocha Gelashvili (ohne Funktionsbezeichnung), Gela Papuashvili, der Leiter der Spezialeinheit Alpha sowie Avto Gogitishvili und Guram Papukashvili (beide ohne Funktionsbezeichnung) erwähnt:

“"If the leadership of the banned paramilitary organization Mkhedrioni had not been imprisoned, Eduard Shevardnadze would not have been able to become president," the head of the Georgian disbanded government body rescue corps, Giga Gelashvili, said duirng proceedings in the Georgian Supreme Court today. Gelashvili described his arrest in 1995 as a reprisal.

The accused members of the Mkhedrioni and presidential security service charged with carrying out an attempt on the Georgian president's live in August 1995 have been reading out their final statements since this morning. Five accused, Jaba Ioseliani the founder and head of the Mkhedrioni, former member of the Georgian military and state councils, Temur Khachishvili former Georgian interior minister and deputy minister of state security, Temur Kurdiani, Mamuka Oshkhereli member of the presidential guard and Gocha Gelashvili, who were removed from the courtroom for contempt, were still absent from the courtroom because they refused to make any form of apology. Giga Gelashvili stated categorically that he had not taken a single step without permission from the head of state and parliament and that if he was described as a terrorist today, then representatives of the current Georgian authorities were even worse terrorists. It should be noted that the commander of the special purpose unit Alpha, Gela Papuashvili, who was in charge of the team that arrested Gelashvili, is sitting next to Gelashvili in the dock. That is why both Gelashvili and Papuashvili said they were astonished at the court's statement about cooperation between the Mkhedrioni and the security service.In their final statements, Giga Gelashvili, Gela Papuashvili, Avto Gogitishvili and Guram Papukashvili appealed to judge Jemal Leonidze to reach a just verdict.” (Kavkasia-Press, 7. Oktober 1998)

Verhaftungen im Mai 1999

Im Mai 1999 meldete die Nachrichtenagentur Interfax, dass gegen sieben Personen Anklage erhoben worden sei. Ihnen werde vorgeworfen, einen Anschlag auf Präsident Schewardnadse und andere georgische Funktionäre geplant zu haben. In dieser Meldung wird nicht spezifiziert, ob es sich dabei um den Attentatsversuch vom 29. August 1995 oder um ein anderes geplantes Attentat handeln soll.

Bei der Verhaftung der Gruppe sei unter anderem auch Druckmaterialien mit dem Portrait des ehemaligen Chefs des Staatssicherheitsdienstes, Igor Georgadze, gefunden worden. Unter den Verdächtigen seien auch zwei ehemalige Mitglieder der Einheit Alpha des Sicherheitsministeriums, A. Pandjikidze und A. Kantaria:

“Official charges were brought against seven suspects who tried to take the life of Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze, a source in the Georgian National Security Ministry told Interfax. However, the source refused to specify the charges.

The suspects might be accused of state treason, terrorist activities and the storage of illegal weapons. On May 22, the staff of the National Security Ministry and Interior Ministry arrested a criminal group. The members of the group were equipped with modern telescopic machine-guns and rifles, explosives, mines, shells and grenade launchers. The law enforcement bodies confiscated a large number of high-quality printed materials with portraits of former National Security Chief Igor Georgadze, who has been charged with terrorist activities. According to a member of the security service, the group was arranging an attempt on Shevardnaze's life and on the lives of other Georgian administrative officials. Among the suspects are former Georgian Ground Troops Commander, currently the head of Defense Ministry training centers Maj. Gen Gudjar Kurashvili, former National Security Ministry official Temur Papuashvili and former members of National Security Ministry's Alpha special unit A. Pandjikidze and A. Kantaria, a source in Georgian law enforcement bodies told Interfax. Pandjikidze was a personal bodyguard of former Georgian Prime Minister Otar Patsatsia.” (Interfax, 24. Mai 1999)

Georgian Radio veröffentlichte am 23. Mai 1999 die Namen von mehreren Verdächtigen, die verhaftet worden seien. Unter anderem werden Mamuka Giorgadze und Ghutidze genannt, die ehemalige Mitglieder der Mchedrioni seien und als Leibwächter des Chefs von Coca Cola arbeiten würden. Sie seien nach einer Befragung freigelassen worden. Weiters seien unter anderem ein ehemaliger Leibwächter des ehemaligen Premierministers Otar Patsatsia sowie zwei Leibwächter des ehemaligen Sicherheitschefs Igor Giorgadzes verhaftet worden. Einer dieser beiden Leibwächter sei Temur Papuashvili, der Bruder des ehemaligen Alpha-Mitglieds Gela Papuashvili, der zur Zeit im Gefängnis sei:

“Text of report by Georgian radio on 23rd May

One of the suspects in an attempted terrorist attack on President Eduard Shevardnadze who were arrested last night is former commander of the Georgian ground troops Gujar Qurashvili, Prime-News [news agency] was told by a source close to the Security Ministry. Talking to Prime-News, Deputy Security Minister Levan Kenchadze said that in the interests of the investigation he would neither confirm nor deny the report about Qurashvili's arrest. He said, however, that the group suspected of an attempted terrorist attack is held at the Security Ministry's detention centre. Prime-News was told by members of the family of Gujar Qurashvili, who is in charge of the Defence Ministry's educational establishments and facilities, that he had not returned home after leaving for work on Saturday morning [22nd May].The Security Ministry is investigating the case. The suspects are Georgians, residents of Tbilisi. Posters of fugitive former security chief Igor Giorgadze and large quantities of firearms were found during the arrest of group members. Prime-News was told by member of parliament Elene Tevdoradze that the group includes former Mkhedrioni militia members Mamuka Giorgadze and a certain Ghutidze, who are currently working as security guards of Temur Chqonia, president of the Coca-Cola Bottlers Georgia company. She said that law-enforcement officers had questioned them on Saturday, but released them this morning. Tevdoradze said that law-enforcement officers had also detained one of former Georgian Prime Minister Otar Patsatsia's [former] bodyguards and two of former security chief Igor Giorgadze's [former] bodyguards. One of them is Temur Papuashvili, brother of a member of the former security service special-purpose unit Alpha, Gela Papuashvili, who is currently in prison.” (Georgian Radio, 23. Mai 1999)

Prime-News berichtete im Mai 1999, dass gegen die sieben verhafteten Personen Anklage erhoben worden sei, da sie ein Attentat gegen Schewardnadse geplant hätten. Hier werden unter anderem folgende Personen aufgezählt: Temur Papuashvili, ein ehemaliger Angestellter des Staatssicherheitsministeriums und Bruder des ehemaligen Alpha-Leiters Gela Papuashvili, die ehemaligen Alpha-Mitglieder Kantaria und Archil Panjikidze, sowie Mamuka Giorgadze, ein Mitglied des Wachdienstes von Coca Cola:

“Text of report by Georgian news agency Prime-News Tbilisi, 24th May:

Each one of the seven persons arrested by Georgian law-enforcement bodies on 22nd May on charges of attempting a terrorist attack against President Shevardnadze have already been charged, Prime-News has been told at the Georgian Ministry of State Security. Among the detained are: the former commander of land troops, Gujar Qurashvili; Temur Papuashvili, a former employee of the Ministry of State Security and the brother of Gela Papuashvili, the former head of the special purpose unit, Alpha ; former members of the aforementioned group, a certain Kantaria and Archil Panjikidze; and Mamuka Giorgadze, a member of the security guards of the Coca-Cola Bottlers Georgia company.

Archil Panjikidze was a former bodyguard of the former prime minister, Otar Patsatsia. Patsatsia told Prime-News that Panjikidze was his bodyguard for three months during his prime ministership, adding that he did not have any acquaintanceship with Panjikidze. Patsatsia said that his bodyguards had been appointed by the government bodyguard service with whom he had nothing in common. Patsatsia said that it was only after the aforementioned incident that he learned about Panjikidze's departure from the bodyguard service and his transfer at first to the security service and then to Coca-Cola Bottlers Georgia company.“ (Prime-News, 24. Mai 1999)

Begnadigungen im Juli 2002

Im Juli 2002 meldete Eurasianet, dass Präsident Schewardnadse drei Männer begnadigt habe, darunter den ehemaligen Innenminister Temur Khachishvili und Giga Gelashvili, ein ehemaliges führendes Mitglied der paramilitärischen Gruppe der Mchedrioni. Diese Männer seien seit 1998 wegen einem versuchten Attentat auf Schewardnadse im Gefängnis. Laut Experten würde Schewardnadse hoffen, so die politische Unterstützung der Begnadigten zu erhalten. Dies habe bei der Opposition Befürchtungen ausgelöst:

“A recent presidential pardon, reported July 6, of three men - including former Interior Minister Temur Khachishvili, and Giga Gelashvili, a former leading member of the Mkhedrioni, a notorious paramilitary group - reinforced growing fears among the opposition that the Shevardnadze government is bracing for unrest. In return for pardoning these men, imprisoned since 1998 for attempting to assassinate the president, Shevardnadze is hoping to receive their political support, some experts believe.” (Eurasianet, 16. Juli 2002)

Auch Civil Georgia berichtete im Juli 2002 von der Begnadigung von Giga Gelashvili, dem ehemaligen Brigadekommandanten der Spezialeinheit Alpha, und von Temur Khachishvili, einem Mchedrioni-Führer und ehemaligen stellvertretenden Sicherheitsminister.

Hier heißt es allerdings, dass die Mchedrioni-Mitglieder wegen eines Anschlags auf die Führer der National Democratic Party im Jahr 1994 im Gefängnis gewesen seien. Temur Khachishvili habe nach seiner Begnadigung angekündigt, er würde es nicht zulassen, dass Mikheil Saakashvili und Zurab Zhvania an die Macht kämen. Daraufhin hätten acht politische Parteien diese Äußerung gemeinsam verurteilt:

“Georgian political parties with seemingly incompatible agendas decided to unite against the criminal threat. A decision to form a coalition was announced at the offices of the National Democratic Party (NDP). It was triggered by President's pardoning of the members of the "Mkhedrioni" paramilitary group suspected in an armed assault on NDP leaders in 1994, which left Ghia Chanturia dead and his wife, current leader of NDP Irina Sarishvili-Chanturia, wounded.

Temur Khachishvili, one of "Mkhedrioni" leaders and a Deputy Chief of the Security Service in 1995, who was pardoned in the beginning of July, claimed during the live interview that he would not let Mikheil Saakashvili and Zurab Zhvania come to power. The next day leaders and members of 8 political parties gathered in the office of the National-Democratic Party to publicly condemn statement of the former "Mkhedrioni" member and demand "immediate dismantling of the criminal-political system".

Pardoning of Giga Gelashvili, former brigade commander of the Alpha special-purpose unit and Khachishvili, who were convicted for organizing the terrorist acts caused major disruptions in the Georgian political circles. Release of the members of militarized organization "Mkhedrioni", which existed in early 90-ies was regarded by the majority of the country's political forces as an evident fact of criminalizing the state and decided to march against this process.“ (Civil Georgia, 19. Juli 2002)

Auch in einer Sendung des georgischen Fernsehsenders Rustavi 2 vom 6. Juli 2002 heißt es, dass der ehemalige Innenminster Temur Khachishvili, der Brigadekommandant der Einheit Alpha des Staatssicherheitsministeriums Guram Papukashvili, sowie Giga Gelashvili, ein Führer der verbotenen paramilitärischen Organisaiton Mchedrioni, von Präsidentent Schewardnadse begnagigt worden seien. Sie seien wegen Beteiligung am Anschlag gegen Schewardnadse im August 1995 im Gefängnis gewesen. Temur Khachishvili und Guram Papukashvili hätten sich bei Präsident Schewardnadse für die Freilassung bedankt:

“Presenter: Was President Shevardnadze's decision to pardon and release people seven years after they had been charged with and jailed for their part in an assassination plot against him 29 August 1995 unexpected? Former Minister of Internal Affairs Temur Khachishvili, the brigade commander of the Alpha special-purpose unit of the Ministry of State Security, Guram Papukashvili, and a leader of the outlawed paramilitary organization Mkhedrioni, Giga Gelashvili, were released from jail this morning on the basis of the president's pardon...

Correspondent: The first statements the released convicts made on their release were linked to the president. Former Minister of Internal Affairs Temur Khachishvili and former commander of the Alpha special-purpose brigade of the Ministry of State Security, Guram Papukashvili, thanked the president for the pardon.

Khachishvili, interviewed outside the prison: First of all, I would like to thank the president and all those who took the decision or supported it. My arrest on charges of plotting and carrying out an act of terrorism against the president was just an excuse for the people who did it and they themselves exposed their true face to the president and the whole country later. It was simply an act of settling political scores with us.

Papukashvili, interviewed outside the prison: The only thing I can say now is words of gratitude to Mr President for cutting short my unlawful imprisonment...

Correspondent: The former minister of internal affairs intends to prepare a court suit, demanding his full rehabilitation. Guram Papukashvili intends to file a similar suit...” (Rustavi 2: Pardoned Antipresident Plotters Thankful to President, 6. Juli 2002)

Am selben Tag wurden Temur Khachishvili und Guram Papukashvili vom georgischen Fernsehsender Rustavi 2 interviewed. Laut Transkript von BBC Monitoring habe Temur Khachishvili in diesem Interview angegeben, dass Präsident Schewardnadse bald erkennen werden, dass die Politiker, die damals an der Macht und nun in Opposition seien, für die unrechtmäßigen Verhaftungen verantwortlich seien. Er werde volle Rehabilitierung fordern. Weiters gibt Khachishvili an, dass ein Gericht ein Jahr zuvor entschieden habe, ihn in ein anderes Gefängnis zu verlegen, dass der damalige Justizminster Michael Saakaschwili das aber verhindert habe:

“Former Georgian Minister of Internal Affairs Temur Khachishvili, whom President Shevardnadze pardoned after seven years in prison on charges of organizing an attempt on his life in 1995, has said his release has become possible because people in charge now have nothing to do with the beginning of his case and are able to draw objective conclusions. Khachishvili told the Georgian independent Rustavi-2 TV that the president would soon realize that it was politicians in power then and in opposition now that carried out the plot and made unlawful arrests. Khachishvili thanked the president and the relevant officials for pardoning him and his friends, but said he was not going to repent but rather demand full rehabilitation. Khachishvili rejected any possibility of getting involved in political games. The following is excerpt from report by Georgian TV station Rustavi-2 on 6 July with subheadings inserted editorially: Presenter The guests of our programme today are former Minister of Internal Affairs Temur Khachishvili and former Brigade Commander of the Alpha special-purpose unit Guram Papukashvili... Here is the first question. Do you think Shevardnadze realized his mistake or perhaps you repented and that is why you have been released from prison?

Khachishvili's evidence was hushed up Temur Khachishvili, former minister of internal affairs Greetings. I would not put the question in this way. Mr President took the decision that had to be taken in the current circumstances. I would like to recall briefly the course of events. I said a few years ago that once I proved the truth of statements about the involvement of then Minister of Internal Affairs Shota Kviraia and Prosecutor-General Jamlet Babilashvili in plotting terrorist attacks on Ajarian leader Mr Aslan Abashidze and about the absurdity of all the charges against me, I would appeal to the president to get me released from jail. You may recall that last year I addressed an appeal to the Ajarian Prosecutor's Office, requesting that they investigate the above-mentioned statements and take the appropriate decision. The Ajarian Prosecutor's Office investigated the statements and the court ruled that I be transferred to Batumi. This ruling was not executed because it was thwarted by the then Justice Minister Mr Mikheil Saakashvili and the then Prosecutor-General Mr Gia Meparishvili. After this, I sent an appeal to the Georgian Parliament, requesting the parliament's Interim Investigating Commission to look into the case... The commission actually confirmed the truth of my statements, which I had been making for years...New people in charge manage to draw objective” (Rustavi 2: Pardoned Antipresident Plotter Maintains his Innocence, 6. Juli 2002)

Laut einer Meldung von Prime-News vom 22. Juli 2002 habe Schewardnadse erklärt, dass der ehemalige Chef des Sicherheitsdienstes, Igor Giorgadze, nicht begnadigt werde. Giorgadze, der noch immer auf der Flucht sei, werde im Zusammenhang mit dem Attentat von 1995 und einer vereitelten terroristischen Verschwörung gegen Schewardnadse im Jahr 1999 gesucht:

“Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze has said that, unlike former Interior Minister Temur Khachishvili, one of the leaders of Mkhedrioni former paramilitary organization , Giga Gelashvili, and former commander of the Alpha special-purpose detachment Guram Papukashvili, who were jailed for involvement in a terrorist attack on the president in 1995 and pardoned earlier this month, fugitive former Georgian security chief Igor Giorgadze, who is wanted on terrorist charges, will not be pardoned. Shevardnadze told a news conference on Monday 22 July that Giorgadze had not appeared before the courts and imprisoned, and, therefore, he was not considering pardoning him.

"Giorgadze has already been pardoned by Russia and is living rather well there," Shevardnadze said. He believes that, although the Georgian side has handed over to Russia several wanted terrorists, Russia will not reciprocate. He said he did not intend to raise this issue with the Russian authorities. Giorgadze is wanted in connection with the 1995 terrorist attack as well as a failed terrorist conspiracy against Shevardnadze in 1999.” (Prime-News, 22. Juli 2002)

Verhaftungen von ehemaligen Alpha-Mitarbeiter im Dezember 2003

Prime-News meldete am 20. Dezember die Verhaftung von Kote Shavishvili, einem ehemaligen Oberst des Staatssicherheitsministeriums und Leiter der Sondereinheit Alpha, sowie seiner Mitarbeiter Tornike Papava, Paata Dartsmelia und Bichiko Gabisonia. Diese Personen hätten im Staatssicherheitsministerium gearbeitet, als es von Igor Giorgadze geleitet worden war:

“Employees of the (Tbilisi) Vake-Saburtalo District police have arrested a (former) colonel of the State Security Ministry, GFK Security Agency head Kote Shavishvili, and several of his co-workers who are personal bodyguards of former Director-General of the Tbilaviamsheni company Pantiko Tordia. Shavishvili's lawyer Guliko Gabaidze has told Prime-News that Kote Shavishvili, Tornike Papava, Paata Dartsmelia and Bichiko Gabisonia were arrested in Paliashvili Street while they were on duty, accompanying Pantiko Tordia to the house of his daughter. Tordia's lawyer said that initially the arrested men were accused of illegal possession of firearms. However, after the permit to carry weapons was produced by the security agency employees, they were accused of resisting the police. Gabaidze has said that all four were arrested for political reasons. She said that the arrested men worked at the State Security Ministry when it was headed by (fugitive former security chief) Igor Giorgadze and at present were Pantiko Tordia's bodyguards. Kote Shavishvili was one of the leaders of the special-purpose detachment, Alpha, while the others worked at the Abkhaz security agency and took part in the Abkhaz war.“ (Prime-News, 20. Dezember 2003)

Im Jänner 2004 meldete Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), dass vier der im Dezember verhafteten ehemaligen Mitglieder von Giorgadze's Alpha-Einheit freigelassen worden seien. Ihnen sei illegaler Waffenbesitz vorgeworfen worden, obwohl sie eine Genehmigung gehabt hätten. Oberst Kote Shavishvili würde dagegen in Haft bleiben, obwohl Mitarbeiter des georgischen Ombudsmannes seine Freilassung gefordert hätten. Shavishvili behaupte, seine Verhaftung sei politisch motiviert:

“A Tbilisi District Court approved on 31 December the release from detention of four former members of special security force who subsequently formed a private security service, Caucasus Press reported. The men were arrested last month on charges of illegal possession of weapons, although they have official authorization to carry firearms when discharging their duties (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 18 December 2003). A fifth member of the group, Colonel Kote Shavishvili, remains in detention despite a request by staff of the Georgian ombudsman's office for his release. Shavishvili claims his arrest was politically motivated and has begun a protest hunger strike. LF“ (RFE/RL, 5. Jänner 2004)

Verhaftungen von Anhängern Giorgadzes im September 2006

Civil Georgia meldete am 6. September 2006, dass insgesamt 29 Personen aus dem Umkreis des ehemaligen Sicherheitsleiters Giorgadse verhaftet worden seien. Ihnen werde vorgeworfen, einen Staatsstreich geplant zu haben:

“A total of 29 activists have been arrested and charged with plotting a coup, Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili said on September 6.

The detainees are all linked to Moscow-based wanted ex-security chief Igor Giorgadze, including key figures of political groups operating under the umbrella of Giorgadze's Justice Party.

“Today at 5 am a special operation was held throughout Georgia to arrest the leaders of Igor Giorgadze’s party and its satellite groups… Like the majority of Georgia’s population, we also had information and a suspicion that this group was planning to bring down the government so that Igor Giorgadze could return to Georgia,” Merabishvili said in a statement to the press on September 6.

“Today we have more than enough evidence to bring charges against these people,” he added.

Temur Zhorzholiani, leader of the Conservative-Monarchist Party; Maia Nikolaishvili, chairperson of the Anti-Soros Movement; and Maia Topuria of the Justice Party, who is related to Giorgadze, were arrested in Tbilisi.

Additional arrests were carried out in Batumi, Zugdidi, Samtredia, Gori and in the Kakheti region, where local executives of the Justice Party were detained.” (Civil Georgia, 6. September 2006)

Micheil Saakaschwili

In der Biographie auf der offiziellen Homepage des georgischen Präsidenten Saakaschwili wird angegeben, dass Saakaschwili vom 12. Oktober 2000 bis September 2001 Justizminister Georgien gewesen sei (President of Georgia, 2005).

Auch im Länderportrait Georgien der BBC und in der Internetenzyklopädie Wikipedia wird angegeben, dass Saakaschwili zwischen 2000 und 2001 Justizminister gewesen sei. Diese beiden Quellen stimmen auch darin überein, dass Saakaschwili einer der Führer der sogenannten Rosenrevolution sei, die im November 2003 zum Rücktritt von Präsident Schewardnadse geführt habe (BBC News, 5. November 2006; Wikipedia, 5. November 2006).

Diese Informationen beruhen auf einer zeitlich begrenzten Recherche in öffentlich zugänglichen Dokumenten, die ACCORD derzeit zur Verfügung stehen. Diese Antwort stellt keine Meinung zum Inhalt eines bestimmten Ansuchens um Asyl oder anderen internationalen Schutz dar. Wir empfehlen, die verwendeten Materialien zur Gänze durchzusehen.

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