Adjara’s Ex-Leader Charged with Murder

Aslan Abashidze, ex-leader of the Adjara Autonomous Republic, was officially charged with the murder of his former deputy Nodar Imnadze in 1991, the Georgian General Prosecutor’s Office reported on March 3.

The court has already sentenced Abashidze to two-month pretrial detention. The trial was held in Abashidze’s absence, as the ex-leader currently lives in Moscow following his ouster in May, 2004.
 
Last December, the Batumi court already sentenced Aslan Abashidze to three-month pretrial detention for alleged misuse of power and misappropriation of state funds, illegal detentions, as well as with masterminding terrorist acts, involving the destruction of two bridges in Adjara in May 2004.
 
According to the General Prosecutor’s Office, the investigation of Imnadze’s murder case was reopened after testimony by Imnadze’s daughter. 
 
Abashidze gave-up power after the central authorities in Tbilisi provided security guarantees for him. President Saakashvili’s administration even pledged that it would not seek Abashidze’s extradition. Georgia has not yet requested Abashidze’s extradition.

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