Igor Giorgadze

Igor Giorgadze ( _ka. იგორ გიორგაძე) (born 23 July 1950) is a Georgian politician, and the former Minister of State Security from 1993 to 1995, who is charged with Georgia’s former President Eduard Shevardnadze’s assassination attempt in 1995. From his base in Russia, he runs a public movement “Anti-Soros” in Georgia, and is the leader of the political party called “Samartlianoba” (Justice).

Career

Giorgadze was born in Zaisan, Eastern Kazakhstan, on a Soviet - Chinese border. His father General Panteleimon Giorgadze, a World War II veteran and the current head of United Communist Party of Georgia, wanted his son to receive military education. In 1968 Giorgadze got accepted at the prestigious Higher School of the USSR Committee for Sate Security (KGB) in Moscow. He graduated in 1973 with a degree in Jurisprudence and foreign languages. Besides Georgian and Russian, he speaks Turkish and French as well as Serbo-Croatian and Azeri. Lieutenant-General Giorgadze held various posts with the security services of the Republic of Georgia. From 1980 to 1981 he also took part in combat operations in Afghanistan as a member of the KGB "Cascade" task group in the city of Kandahar. He has been awarded fifteen government decorations, including the "For Merit in Combat" medal and holds the title of "Honorary Officer of the KGB of the USSR".

During the 1992-1993 civil war between the adherents of the first Georgian president Zviad Gamsakhurdia and his opponents, Igor Giorgadze sided with Eduard Shevardnadze and in 1993, was appointed the country's Minister of State Security. During his ministerial tenure Giorgadze actively promoted working relations with the special services of Russia and grew in considerable influence in the Georgian government.

Downfall

In 1995 he was accused for having organized the August 29, 1995 attempt on the life of Eduard Shevardnadze. However, Giorgadze managed to escape Georgia, and in an open letter to the president written in October of that year, he denied any connection with the terrorist attack and claimed Shevardnadze was interested in removing him in advance of the forthcoming presidential elections.

Later Giorgadze was also accused by Georgia of involvement in various political assassinations in the 1994 - 1995 period and warrants were sent to Interpol for Giorgadze's arrest. Numerous requests by Georgia, the Interpol and the US Congress for his extradition have been turned down on the ground that the Russian law enforcement agencies were unable to establish his whereabouts. [ [http://www.georgiaemb.org/DisplayDoc.asp?id=33 Statement by Ambassador Revaz Adamia, Permanent Representative of Georgia to the UN at the Public Meeting of the UN Security Council on "Threats to International Peace and Security Posed by Terrorist Acts"] . Embassy of Georgia to the United States, Canada and Mexico. October 4, 2002. Retrieved on May 24, 2007.] However, Giorgadze is supposed to live in Moscow and he is a frequent guest of Russian TV programmes. [ [http://jamestown.org/edm/article.php?article_id=2371447 GEORGIA INDICTS PRO-MOSCOW ACTIVISTS AHEAD OF PLANNED DISTURBANCES] , by Vladimir Socor. "Eurasia Daily Monitor", September 14, 2006. Retrieved on May 24, 2007.]

In 1999, the US Senate declared that the US President and other senior officials at each bilateral meeting with Russian officials should raise the issue of his extradition to Georgia to stand trial for the assassination attempt on Shevardnadze. [http://rpc.senate.gov/_files/61799L19.pdf]

Opposition

In the 2000s, he again attempted to enter Georgia's political arena. In July, 2001 the "Samshoblo" ("Motherland") All-Georgia Patriotic Alliance was officially registered in Tbilisi. The organization, comprising nine parties and popular movements, elected Giorgadze its Chairman.

In 2003 he founded the political party "Samartlianoba" (Justice), and in 2005 Giorgadze became the initiator of the political movement "Anti-Soros" which is an alliance of four opposition parties including Samartlianoba. The movement's name refers to the American billionaire George Soros. The party advocates closer economic and political ties with the Russian Federation and criticizes the current government for its pro-NATO course. However, Giorgadze’s party enjoys minimal support in Georgia, and has been accused of being funded by the Russian security services.

Despite being abroad, Igor Giorgadze attempted to run for President of Georgia in the 2000 and 2004 elections, but on each occasion Georgia's Central Election Commission (CEC) refused to register him.

On September 6, 2006, Georgian police arrested over 30 members of the "Samartlianoba" party and its satellite political groups in a round-up in the nation’s capital Tbilisi and elsewhere in the country.

The arrested were accused of plotting to organize a violent coup against the government of President Mikheil Saakashvili. Allegations also include receiving illegal funding from abroad and collaboration with the security services of a foreign country. Reportedly, a great deal of arms and illegal money were discovered in the party offices.

Georgian media quoted President Saakashvili as saying, "These people will receive what they deserve and their patrons and sponsors will see this. As far as I know hysteric attempts were underway [to plot coup] . The wine embargo [by Russia] has failed to bring results, military provocations as well; so this kind of things [plotting coup] has been left on their disposal, but these attempts will not harm us if we are consolidated." [http://207.44.135.100/eng/article.php?id=13482] . In response, Samartlianoba and the lawyers of those arrested accused the government of political persecutions prior to the forthcoming October 5, 2006 local elections. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5321040.stm]

References