The Chase of Zviad Gamsakhurdia Supporters Continues

The Chase of Zviad Gamsakhurdia Supporters Continues

General Prosecution Continues to Investigate Criminal Cases against Supporters of former President Gamsakhurdia

Criminal cases against supporters of former president Zviad Gamsakhurdia were launched during the Shevardnadze administration. Teimuraz Kvantaliani, former director of the TV and Radio Broadcasting Department is among them. He is blamed for terrorism, treason and squandering state property. Criminal cases against “Zviadists” should have been stopped after the creation of the “Parliamentary Commission for the National Consent.” But according to Teimuraz Kvantaliani, these cases have still not been cancelled. Having left the political asylum in Lithuania, Kvantaliani still faces the danger of chase by the government.

Events that occurred in Georgia in 1991-1992 with the aim of gaining freedom and building an independent, sovereign state developed into a civil war and confrontations between the ethnic groups, inspired by inner or outside forces.  The war ended with a loss of both territory and many people. 

Shevardnadze’s government, taking office after the death of Zviad Gamsakhurdia, enacted restrictions and chased supporters of the former president, both his political partners and common citizens. Law enforcement was used to disperse the demonstrations of “Zviadists” and arbitrary detentions and other illegal actions were inflicted on them. During Shevardnadze’s administration, criminal cases were launched against those in close relation to Zviad Gamsakhurdia. Supporters of Gamsakhurdia were blamed for capital crimes such as terrorism and treason.

Restrictions against and pursuit of “Zviadists,” as well as confrontations in society, continued for several years and, according to the promises of the new government (after the “Rose Revolution”), they should have been stopped after the creation of the “Parliamentary Commission for National Consent.”  According to a letter published in Rezonansi  by Teimuraz Kvantaliani, former director of the TV and Radio Broadcasting Department (during the period of the first president of Georgia), the situation remains unchanged and the General Prosecution still continues to investigate criminal cases launched against “Zviadists”.

Kvantaliani mentioned in his letter that the criminal case against him accuses him of treason and terrorism as well as stealing state property. As he was informed on October 17, 2004 by a letter from Senior Justice Advisor Revaz Zarandia, the Senior Prosecutor of the Investigating Department, his case still has not been thrown out.

Kvantaliani’s letter states that several criminal cases have been launched against supporters of the first president, former MPs and members of the government and include charges like high treason and terrorism. Teimuraz Kvantaliani’s charges were included. As he states, he was among the charged only because he was with the first president in Grozno. After the death of the president, Teimuraz Kvantaliani moved to Lithuania where he got political asylum and remained for several years. On the advice of Vasil Maglaferidze, Chairman of the Commission of the National Consent, Kvantaliani sent an official statement to the Georgian representation in Lithuania addressed to Maglaferidze asking for the cancellation (under Article 28) of criminal cases instituted against him illegally. Later, acting on the promise his charges would be cancelled, he refused political asylum and returned in Georgia. Once across the border, he learned that his request to cancel the criminal charges had not been accepted and that he was wanted. It should be mentioned, however, that the prosecution office has not taken any measures to detain him.

Teimuraz Kvantaliani hoped that the new government would keep its promise and cancel the criminal charges against him, but he was disappointed, especially by the prosecution’s request that he confess to the accusations - as if the charges were actually initiated properly and would be dropped if the situation changed. And the conditions under which the situation could change are extremely vague and muddy, especially when concerning charges like high treason and terrorism.

Nino Bestavashvili