Shevardnadze Says Mutiny Participants Should Be Punished

(Tbilisi. March 24, 2003. Civil Georgia) – “No mercy for the participants of the mutiny. They should be punished strictly in accordance to the law,” President Shevardnadze said at the briefing today, while commenting the mutiny of dozens of the former National Guard servicemen.

Former servicemen of the Georgian National Guard that seized the military unit in Tbilisi last night, surrendered to the Georgian police this morning.

Georgian General Prosecutor Nugzar Gabrichidze said up to 30 former servicemen of the National Guard entered the military unit, located in Isani district of the capital city “without any problems, disarmed the guard of the military unit and seized weapons and armored machines.”

Gabrichidze said “the reason of the mutiny was to attract attention to their difficult social conditions, this is what they say.”

Eduard Shevardnadze cast doubt on the mutiny participates’ motives, saying “certain forces” stood behind them.

Other Georgian top officials also expressed doubts regarding the reasons of the mutiny voiced by the former National Guard servicemen.

“No one acts this way in order to attract attention. This was a provocation, which was planned in advance,” Koba Narchemashvili, Interior Minister told the reporters today.

“All the law enforcement agencies new that the provocation was preparing,” Davit Tevzadze, Defense Minister said at the news briefing on March 24.

Military troops surrounded the base, and Interior Minister Koba Narchemashvili, Security Minister Valeri Khaburdzania, Prosecutor-General Nugzar Gabrichidze and other officials negotiated with the veterans throughout the night.

According to the Prosecutor General’s office all the suspects will be charged for participation in seizing of the facility of vital importance.