Motion for a resolution | Doc. 11518 | 31 January 2008

Drawing up a report on allegations made about the death of Zurab Zhvania

Signatories: Mr Sergej CHELEMENDIK, Slovak Republic ; Mr Miloš ALIGRUDIĆ, Serbia, EPP/CD ; Ms Guðfinna S. BJARNADÓTTIR, Iceland ; Lord Tim BOSWELL, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Christopher CHOPE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Nigel EVANS, United Kingdom ; Mr John GREENWAY, United Kingdom ; Mr Andreas GROSS, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Konstantin KOSACHEV, Russian Federation, EDG ; Mr Tiny KOX, Netherlands, UEL ; Mr Göran LINDBLAD, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Mikhail MARGELOV, Russian Federation ; Mr Morten MESSERSCHMIDT, Denmark ; Mr David WILSHIRE, United Kingdom, EDG

Origin - Referred to the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee), for information: Reference No. 3428 (see 11th Sitting, 14 April 2008).

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

We remain saddened by the death of our former colleague, Zurab Zhvania, in February 2005.

We are concerned about the allegations made by the former defence minister and opposition party founder, Irakli Okruashvili. Mr Okruashvili has alleged that Prime Minister Zhvania did not die in the flat in which he was found, but had died earlier and the corpse had been taken to this address. Mr Okruashvili has alleged that the Georgian Government covered up the true cause of his death.

We note that Mr Okruashvili also made a number of other allegations against President Mikhail Saakashvili.

He has alleged that in July 2005 President Saakashvili personally ordered him to have Badri Patarkatsishvili assassinated.

We also note that Mr Okruashvili has been arrested on charges of money laundering and extortion.

In view of the seriousness of Mr Okruashvili’s allegations, we call on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to prepare a report on the circumstances surrounding the death of Zurab Zhvania and the allegations made by Irakli Okruashvili.