Zurab Imnadze Requests Punishment of Aslan Abashidze

Maka Malakmadze, Adjara

Zurab Imnadze has been holding hunger strike in Batumi, at the monument of Ilia Chavchavadze. He started hunger strike three weeks ago. The son of former deputy head of Adjara Supreme Council, Nodar Imnadze requests the investigation of his father’s murder case to be completed and to find Aslan Abashidze guilty.

“I am requesting the investigation of my father’s Nodar Imnadze’s murder case. We need to put a dot in this case. I visited the prosecutor Zviad Pkhakadze of Adjara Office of Prosecutor who told me that the court would be appointed in the nearest future. However, the trial has not started yet. I understand that this case occurred twenty years ago, but we cannot protract it this way when some cases are investigated in several days. That is why I think that they are purposely protracting this case.”

Zurab Imnadze held a one-day hunger strike several months ago. Back then he received a promise from the head of Adjara government Levan Varshalomidze and prosecutor Zviad Pkhakadze: “They asked me to stop the hunger strike. They promised that they would do everything and would let me know. But it was just a verbal promise. However, I trusted them. Now, I am not going to stop the hunger strike until the trial starts.”

As Imnadze states during his three-week hunger strike the head of Adjara government accompanied with his Ministers and Batumi mayor Robert Chkhaidze showed up on the opposite street several times. However, nobody showed interest in his fate: “They come, observe the constructions and then leave. Nobody had a question regarding my poster or me. Nobody even came to ask. Not only had they, not even the central media outlets showed interest in my hunger strike. Only the TV Channel 24, newspaper Batumelebi and you came to interview me.”

Zurab Imnadze’s father Nodar Imnadze was killed in Aslan Abashidze’s cabinet on April 30th of 1991. Nodar Imnadze was a deputy head of Supreme Council back then: “He was going to Kutaisi. He received a call on the phone to go back. My father turned his work car and went back to the Supreme Council. He had 6 bullets in the back and the bullets were from his gun… The investigation started in 1991 but then it was stopped without reason. Eduard Shevardnadze told us back then that he cannot start war with Abashidze and the case was stopped. I am definitely going to request to try those people who did not investigate the case during Aslan Abashidze’s time. Some are still holding some posts and are even promoted.”

Human Rights Center contacted the prosecutor of Adjara Zviad Pkhakadze regarding the protracted investigation of murder case. “The case has been transferred to the court and the appointment of the process does not depend on us,” – he said.