Georgian Security Chief Visits Moscow

(Tbilisi, August 26, 2003, Civil Georgia) – Georgian State Security Minister Valeri Khaburdzania will visit the Russian capital on August 26 to hold talks with his Russian counterparts.

The Security Minister said on August 25 that the issue of the extradition of Mevlud Chichiashvili, the alleged kidnapper kingpin, would be at the top of the agenda during the talks with the Russian authorities.

Chichiashvili, 29, was arrested by Georgian law enforcers in cooperation with their Russian counterparts in Moscow on June 24.

Georgian law enforcers say Chichiashvili was behind several high-profile abductions, including the!
kidnappings of two Spanish businessmen in 2000, Georgian Parliamentarian Petre Tsiskarishvili and the British banker Peter Shaw in 2002.

Khaburdzania also said that the extradition of Chichiashvili and his interrogation will be very important for revealing the details of these high-profile abductions and for knowing who his associates were.

The Georgian Security Minister said that the situation in Pankisi Gorge will also be discussed during the talks with his Russian counterparts.

Related Story:
Chief Pankisi Kidnapping Suspect Apprehended

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