Georgia's ex-minister detained after coming home

Europe November 20, 2012

Georgia's ex-minister detained after coming home

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgia's former defense minister, who once accused pro-Western President Mikhail Saakashvili of plotting to kill an opposition-minded billionaire, has been detained by authorities after he returned to the country from exile.

Irakli Okruashvili threw the ex-Soviet nation into political turmoil in 2008 when he claimed Saakashvili asked him to organize the killing of Badri Patarkatsishvili. Okruashvili was arrested, but fled Georgia after he was freed on bail.

He was granted asylum in France after a Georgian court found him guilty of extortion and sentenced him in absentia to 11 years in prison. Justice Minister Teya Tsulukiani said that the ex-minister was detained after entering the country Tuesday.

Okruashvili's return is apparently related to the power shift in Georgia in October after an anti-Saakashvili coalition won the parliament election.

Subjects
- General news,
- Crime
People
- Mikheil Saakashvili
Locations
- Georgia,
- Tbilisi,
- Eastern Europe,
- Europe

Related Headlines

190 Georgian 'political' prisoners walk free
Nearly 200 people considered political prisoners by Georgia's new parliament walked free Sunday under an amnesty strongly opposed by President Mikhail Saakashvili. Many of the ...
Georgian president and premier in battle of wills
It is a battle of egos that could not be more visible: The shining palace of the president and the lavish glass villa of the new billionaire prime minister vie for attention ...
Stalin's birthday marked in Russia and beyond
People across the vast territory where Josef Stalin once imposed his terror have marked the 133rd anniversary of the dictator's birth, some in hatred but others in reverence.
Gay pride rally in Georgia derailed
Thousands of anti-gay protesters, including Orthodox priests, occupied a central street in Georgia's capital Friday, with some threatening to lash with stinging nettles any ...