Georgian opposition calls for re-investigation of Girgvliani's murder case

Today, members of the Party "Our Georgia - Free Democrats", founded by Irakli Alasaniya, ex-Ambassador of Georgia to the UN, held an action at the Georgian Ministry of Justice demanding to re-investigate the murder of Sandro Girgvliani, 28, an employee of the United Bank of Georgia.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Sandro Girgvliani was killed on January 27, 2005, in the Okrokan Forest, where he was first tortured. The suspects of the murder - four employees of the Constitutional Security Department - were detained in early 2006 sentenced to prison terms ranging from seven to eight years, but later, in 2009, they were released under the pardon decree, signed by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. The Strasbourg Court (European Court of Human Rights - ECtHR) ordered the government of Georgia to pay 50,000 euros to Sandro Girgvliani's family.

According to Shalva Shavgulidze, one of the leaders of the Party "Our Georgia - Free Democrats" and Girgvliani's advocate, today is the deadline of the three-month period, which was given by the ECtHR to the Georgian government for paying the compensation.

Today, the Georgian Ministry of Justice has issued a statement on the decision of the ECtHR on the case "Enukidze and Girgvliani versus Georgia". Inter alia, the statement says that "in accordance with Article 41 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), the Court ruled to pay 50,000 euros in favour of the applicants as compensation of moral harm, and 388 euros to cover legal costs. In addition, the enforcement procedure assumes translation of the decision into the Georgian language and publication in the official printed edition. The enforcement of the decision will take place not later than 6 months from the date of its entry into force," the "Georgia Online" writes.

Meanwhile, according to Mr Shavgulidze, the compensation is not enough, as the murder case should be re-investigated. Otherwise, the lawyer intends to address the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which supervises the execution of the decisions of the ECtHR, the "News-Georgia" reports.

Shalva Shavgulidze has addressed his corresponding statement to the Minister of Justice of Georgia Zurab Adeishvili.

Teya Tsulukiani, another member of the Party "Our Georgia - Free Democrats", who also took part in the action, has demanded to initiate a criminal case against senior officials of the Georgian MIA, who were witnesses in the case. Besides, she demanded to cancel the pardon of the four earlier convicts of murdering Girgvliani, the "Georgia Today" reports.