- Garri Aiba
Infobox Mayor
imagesize =
name=Garri Aiba
order=Mayor of Sukhumi
term_start=1995
term_end=2000
president=
predecessor=
successor=Leonid Lolua
birth_date=
birth_place=
death_date=June 9 ,2004
death_place=
party=
religion=
spouse=Garri Aiba (19?? -
June 9 ,2004 ) was an opposition leader in the de facto independent (though internationally unrecognized) Republic of Abkhazia at the time of his murder. He died when his car came under fire onJune 9 ,2004 . [cite web
url=http://www.freedomhouse.org/modules/mod_call_dsp_country-fiw.cfm?country=6879
title= Abkhazia [Georgia] (2005)
publisher=
accessdate=2007-01-02 ]History
Garri Aiba was a veteran of the 1992-1993 war with Georgia, in which he led Abkhazia anti-aircraft defenses, and a prominent businessman. From 1995 to 2000 he had been mayor of
Sukhumi , capital of Abkhazia.Aiba had become one of the leaders ofAmtsakhara , which was one of the main movements in opposition to the government of PresidentVladislav Ardzinba , two other leaders of which had also been killed in previous years.Murder
On
June 9 ,2004 , Aiba's car came under fire, fifty metres from his home inSukhumi . He got out of the car in an attempt to protect his ten-year old daughter, but was seriously injured, and died later that day in hospital. His death sent shockwaves through Abkhaz politics. Aiba had no business links and many people claimed that the killing was politically motivated. It sparked the resignations of several prominent ministers, including foreign minister (and fellow Amtsakhara leader)Sergey Shamba , interior ministerAbessalom Beiya andGivi Agrba , head of the security services. [cite web
url=http://iwpr.net/?p=crs&s=f&o=160449&apc_state=henicrs2004
title=Abkhazia Struggle Intensifies
publisher=
accessdate=2007-01-02 ] However, Shamba later denied that his resignation was related to Aiba's deathFact|date=July 2008, and Prime MinisterRaul Khadjimba refused to accept the resignations of Beiya and Agrba.Fact|date=July 2008No one has yet been charged with Aiba's murder. Former opposition leader
Sergei Bagapsh has since become president.Notes
External links
* [http://www.freedomhouse.org/modules/mod_call_dsp_country-fiw.cfm?country=6879 Abkhazia [Georgia] (2005)]
* [http://iwpr.net/?p=crs&s=f&o=160449&apc_state=henicrs2004 Abkhazia Struggle Intensifies]
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