Former head of the Ajara region in Georgia, Tornike Rizhvadze, has attempted suicide and is in serious condition
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, on July 7, former head of the Ajara regional government in Georgia, Tornike Rizhvadze, was hospitalized in the city of Sagarejo (Kakheti region) with a gunshot wound to the chest. His lung was damaged, and emergency surgery was performed on site. The hospital reports that his condition is stable but serious.
A criminal case has been opened under Article 115 of the Criminal Code – incitement to suicide.
An investigation has begun. The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that one person has been detained as a suspect for negligent storage of a firearm. According to Georgian media, this is Aleksi Akhvlediani, director of the Georgian Maritime Transport Agency.
According to Lali Turdzeladze, clinical director of the First University Clinic, the former head of the Ajara government is on mechanical ventilation, and his condition remains serious.
A strange letter before the suicide attempt, which could not be independently verified
The pro-government TV channel Imedi quoted a letter that, according to their information, Rizhvadze wrote before his suicide attempt.
However, independent journalists have been unable to verify the authenticity of the text.
The letter published by Imedi reads:
Tornike Rizhvadze
'Aleko (Aleksi Akhvlediani – JAMnews) has nothing to do with this; I quietly took the weapon. This person is an example of friendship.
There is only one reason: I am accused of corruption and protecting 'profits of profiteers' – which is exactly what my father and I have fought against all our lives.
I am tired. I have seen great victories and failures. I apologize to my family and to the Patriarch. Dad, you have always been my example of true manhood.
Data, grow into a real man, look after Eli. Mom, I love you. Forgive me, I cannot leave you millions, but I love you. I hope Mr. Bidzina [Ivanishvili] and the prime minister will protect my family.
My friends, colleagues, family members – all acted under my orders and instructions. They are all innocent. Only I take responsibility with my life. Please, do not criticize me or accuse anyone. This was written by me. May God protect my beloved Ajara and Georgia.'
The well-known publication Batumelebi, based in the Ajara region, citing reliable sources, reports that medical staff at the clinic in Sagarejo did not provide any letters to journalists. The clinic itself has yet to comment.
The First University Clinic in Tbilisi, where Tornike Rizhvadze was transferred and where he remains in serious condition, also denies that any letter was given to the media.
It is important to note that spreading such information about a patient is prohibited by Georgian law and is considered illegal disclosure of personal medical data.
Comments
Ghia Nodia, political analyst: 'The internal 'turf wars' within the ruling Georgian Dream confirm that, by its nature, it is a mafia-style organization. The boss, Bidzina Ivanishvili, is clearly disappointed with how the situation is unfolding. Although he presumably hopes to manage it through his loyal aide, Irakli Kobakhidze (the Georgian Dream prime minister).
I don't understand who is targeting whom among them., who's hitting whom, or what Ivanishvili's actual strategy is. I've stopped trying to figure it out.
But I've come to the impression that Bidzina Ivanishvili is not suited to be a mafia boss.
There are factions in the opposition too, but I wouldn't call them mafia-style. Still, it's clear to all of us that the situation on this side of the political spectrum is also fundamentally broken.'
Guram Imnadze, lawyer: 'The narrative pushed by pro-government outlets Imedi and Post-TV paints the following picture:
Rizhvadze was visiting someone, suddenly found the host's gun, and immediately tried to take his own life with it. Yet before making this spontaneous decision, he managed to write a letter thanking the gun's owner and asking Ivanishvili and Kobakhidze to protect him from accusations of corruption and alleged ties to certain 'profiteers.'
Then the letter is discovered by a nurse, who, instead of reporting it to the authorities, passes the information on to some bottom-tier propaganda media outlet. And yes, apparently our nurses know the phone numbers of every journalist and producer by heart.
However, the outlets don't publish a photo of the handwritten letter – just the text. So it seems the nurse, who surely has a lot to do, sat down and typed out Rizhvadze's message word by word, period by period, instead of simply photographing it.
None of it is believable, and yet everything seems possible.'
Former head of Ajara in Georgia, Tornike Rizhvadze, suicide
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