Sandro's murderers "let out of prison"

September 6, 2009 by georgiamedia

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Update: Civil.ge now confirm that the murderers have been let out as a result of a presidential pardon - the second time Mikheil Saakashvili has acted to help the killers (he previously cut their sentences) and in direct contradiction to what was said when the pardons commission met when they ruled out any action on behalf of those convicted of murder.

The convicted murderers of Interior Ministry "death squad" victim Sandro Girgviliani.have been released from prison after barely three years of jail time according to an unconfirmed report carried by the news agency Interpressnews.

Sandro was murdered in January 2006 after a row in a Tbilisi bar in which he and prominent officials from the Interior Ministry were drinking. Four officials of the ministry were eventually charged with his murder and were convicted in July 2006.

Sandro's murder was a key moment in the political polarisation of Georgian society and in the growing climate of fear amongst those who criticised the regime of Mikheil Saakashvili. Senior politicians, such as Salome Zourabichvili, became declared supporters of the opposition because of the case and journalists began to publicly describe the pressure they were under not to broadcast critcial reports.

Sozar Subari, Georgi'a public defendder and human rights ombudsman, said the case showed that Vano Merabishvili, the interior minister was presiding over "death squads". Since then Merabishvili's power has grown and he is widely seen to control national broadcasting through direct and indirect means as well as - through his close friends and allies the Akhalaia brothers - the security service (the descendants of the KGB) and the military.

Opposition supporters and Sandro's friends and family continue to campaign for a fuller investigation into the case. They claim that the highest levels of government were involved in covering up the truth about what went on that night.

At the time that the pardon commission sat in August Interpressnews reported that murderers would not be eligible for early release:

Member of the Commission Marika Verulashvili stated that they will not give recommendations to persons accused in country treachery, drugs, murder and robber.

It is not clear if the convicted have been released - if they have - as a result of a presidential pardon or by some other mechanism.

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