Sandro Girgvliani Murder Case

The Sandro Girgvliani murder case is one of the most notorious criminal cases in the modern history of Georgia. The killing, and the events as a result of it, have generated heavy criticism of the former government, particularly the interior minister, and the extent to which then President Mikheil Saakashvili has truly introduced judicial independence and a democratic culture into society.

Sandro Girgvliani was found dead on January 28, 2006 on the outskirts of Tbilisi with multiple injuries inflicted as a result of physical abuse. According to an Imedi Television investigation on February 12, the murder of the 28-year-old head of the United Georgian Bank's Foreign Department, can be traced to a series of events which developed in Tbilisi’s elite Sharden Bar. It is alleged that the Inspector General of Ministry of Internal Affairs, Vasil Sanodze was holding his birthday party to which the highest members of the department were invited. Tako Salakaia, the wife of the then-Interior Minister and current Prime Minister, Vano Merabishvili, was in attendance, and by chance happened to be a friend of Girgvliani's girlfriend, Tamar Maisuradze. Maisuradze's presence is reportedly the reason for the subsequent victim's fatal visit.

Levan Bukhaidze, Girgvliani’s friend, who had accompanied his friend to the bar, claims that a few minutes before the kidnapping took place, the victim had an argument with his girlfriend, who was sitting with the Interior Minister’s wife and her companions at the birthday party. In court Maisuradze recalled her dialogue with Girgvliani in the bar, claiming that "He asked why I was sitting with strangers. To this question I answered: that it did not matter who I was with and I asked whether he had come to find out only this. I did not know these people, but they were acquaintances of the girl I had come with. Then he asked why I was sitting with that ‘faggot’ – referring to [Guram] Donadze (head of the Ministry Press Centre)."

Whilst Bukhaidze has denied this comment was made, it is clear that Sandro Girgvliani and his friend left the scene, and were reportedly stuffed into a silver Mercedes-Benz ML Class vehicle by unknown men shortly afterwards. They were then taken to Okrokana, on the outskirts of Tbilisi. Girgvliani’s friend claims that whilst he was able to escape, Girgvliani was murdered. His body was found close to a nearby cemetery the next morning.

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