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Attack on Members of Burjanadze’s Political Party

May 1, 2009

Tea Tedliashvili, Gori

On April 26, members of Nino Burjanadze’s political party, “Democratic Movement-United Georgia”, were attacked in Kareli, a town in the Shida Kartli region. The coordinator of the Kareli office of the political party ,Vasil Bakradze and his brother Nikoloz Bakradze, were driving by car in Bakhtrioni Street from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Suddenly a BMW jeep blocked their way and the driver of their car, Nikoloz Bakradze, had to stop the car. Two stout men got out of the jeep and went toward the car of the Bakradzes. The two stout strangers were holding truncheons. According to Nikoloz and Vasil Bakradzes one of attackers was in a mask.

The strangers broke the front window of the car and then the window on the driver’s side. The glass injured the eye, ear and face of Nikoloz Bakradze. The witnesses’ statement prepared at the Public Defender’s office states that after the attack Bakradze drove back and crashed the sign-post. The attackers chased them; but Bakradze, managed to turn back and escape. The strangers fired three times.

Vasil Bakradze said: “They shot in the direction of the wheels of our car. They attacked us without explaining anything. We could not see the number plate on their car. Before the incident I was warned to quit the political party. There were some problems regarding my sisters. They are teachers and when they attended meetings with Burjanadze they were asked why they attended the meeting. I have never had any disagreement with anybody. I connect the recent incident with my membership in the political party.”

Nino Dalakishvili and Giorgi Gotsiridze, representatives of the Public Defender in Shida Kartli, visited the place of the incident. They met the doctor who assisted Nikoloz Bakradze and diagnosed that Bakradze had his eye injured. Dalakishvili and Gotsiridze met the neighbors living in Bakhtrioni Street. 20 neighbors confirm that they had heard three gun-shot in their street.

Gia Sazandrishvili, a resident of Bakhtrioni Street, reported he was at home when the gun was fired. He went out in the street and there he found neighbors who also went out in the street after hearing the gunfire. The representatives of the Public Defender found two bullet cartridges on the scene of incident together with neighbors.

Examination of the car showed that one bullet was stuck in the car and the second one was under the number-plate. Nino Dalakishvili stated that the policemen did not arrive at the place until he called them. “However, everybody heard the shooting in the street,” said Dalakishvili.

Members of political parties have been seriously oppressed in Shida Kartli recently. Some of them were attacked and beaten by masked people without any explanations. The worst fact is that on April 26 the gun is mentioned in the recent incident.

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