01 November 2007, 13:29
Opposition: Bacho Akhalaya's people stand behind Okruashvili's exclusion from Georgia
Irakliy Okruashvili was going to take part in the meeting on November 2, but under a threat of arrest he was forced to leave Georgia by subordinates of Bacho Akhalaya, head of the Department for Enforcing Punishments under the Ministry of Justice of Georgia.
According to Eki Beseliya, Okruashvili's advocate and representative of the opposition party "For United Georgia", today they could state what they were not able to say before.
"Irakliy Okruashvili was going to take part in the meeting on November 2. Yesterday, I and Deputy Teo Tlashadze met him, and in a private conversation he informed us about his intention. However, at about 2-3 a.m. he was forced to leave Georgia. At the airport he was given his passport with a visa of the French Embassy in it, and under a threat of arrest he had to leave the country. Today at midday, he has contacted me already from the French airport.
People of Bacho Akhalaya took part in the events. Okruashvili's wife and child stay here; they are a sort of hostages of the situation," Ms Beseliya said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
We remind you that on the eve of the meeting in Zugdidi held on October 28, in a talk with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent Deputy Kakha Kukava, one of the leaders of the Conservative Party of Georgia, had demanded from Bacho Akhalaya and his employees "to stop pressure and intimidation of people."
Author: Edita Badasian, CK correspondent
