Putin Criticized in Kodori Gorge
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili returned to Georgia from his international tour for a fast visit on the weekend. In the day he spent in Georgia, he opened a road in Kodori Gorge, answered charges made against him by former defense minister Irakly Okruashvili of ordering a murder and accused Russia, and Russian President Vladimir Putin personally, of inciting Georgia to bloodshed.
On Friday, Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili, who accompanied Saakashvili to the session of the UN General Assembly, stated that the president would not interrupt his plans due to the arrest of Okruashvili and opposition actions taking place in Tbilisi. He was to remain in the United States until he flew to Greece for a visit on October 1. His plans changed on Friday evening, however, when Putin commented, “They make the democratic processes an example for us. God save us from following such examples.”
Saturday morning Saakashvili was in Georgia, for a one-day stay. He looked weary but battle-ready after the long flight, commenting on the accusations of Okruashvili while still at the airport. “We have a free country and people can say what they want. But that person knows that everything he has accused me of is a bold-faced lie,” he said, going on to accuse Okruashvili of corruption and play down political aspects of his arrest.
Saakashvili flew to Kodori Gorge to open a road that will connect the area with internal Georgian regions. Tbilisi claims that an attack by Russian-trained Abkhazians that took place on the road on September 20. “My Russian friend appeared on television and said that he was dissatisfied with the level of democracy in Georgia. He expressed hope for conflict and bloodshed. I want to tell my Russian friend that there is a big difference between Georgia and Russia today. In Georgia, the law is supreme, the press is free and it can even criticize the president. I haven't seen criticism of the president of Russia on Russian channels for a long time.” After further commentary on the life of a journalist in Russia, he called the road-builders heroes and stated that “Today we stand on the road to Sukhumi and the road to a united Georgia.”
The arrest of Okruashvili is the talk of Tbilisi. Scandal broke out when his lawyer Eka Beselia was not allowed into the courtroom for the hearing Friday evening where he was ordered held for investigation for two months. Beselia told Kommersant that “They told me that they could not admit me due to special security measures. All I want to know is who the measures defend them from.” Court representatives said that Beselia refused to walk through the metal detector at the court. The former minister was consequently defended by a court-appointed defender. Beselia former deputy defense minister Levan Nikoleishvili and a number of a number of Okruashvili's advisors also faced arrest and legal action.
Vladimir Novikov, Tbilisi; Alexander Gabuev
All the Article in Russian as of Oct. 01, 2007
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