Case of incitement to suicide opened after Adjarian official Rizhvadze was wounded

Former Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara Tornike Rizhvadze received a gunshot wound.

As "Kavkazsky Uzel" wrote, in December 2021, participants in a rally in Batumi demanded the resignation of the then head of Adjara Tornike Rizhvadze, a conflict with whom, as they believe, led to the death of opposition MP Nugzar Putkaradze from a heart attack.

On the morning of July 7, Tornike Rizhvadze was taken to a clinic with a wound in the chest area, the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported. According to doctors, his lung is damaged, and his condition is assessed as stable but serious. The investigation is being conducted under Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Georgia "Incitement to suicide", the agency "Novosti-Gruzia" reports.

The head of the Georgian Maritime Transport Agency, Aleksi Akhvlediani, has been detained as an accused for careless handling of firearms, writes "Interpressnews". According to the TV channel "TV Pirveli", Tornike Rizhvadze had been in the house of Aleksi Akhvlediani's mother for several days. It was in this house that the shots were fired on the night of July 7.

The publication "Prime Time" reports that he wrote a letter before the incident. It was found in his clothes by medical personnel. The letter focuses on several issues, including accusations of corruption. Rizhvadze appeals to the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party Bidzina Ivanishvili and Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze with a request to protect his family.

However, the publication "Netgazeti" on its Facebook page*, citing its sources, reported that the medical staff did not pass on Rizhvadze's letters to journalists.

Tornike Rizhvadze resigned from the post of head of the Adjara government on April 4. He worked as the head of the Georgian Energy Development Fund since December 2016, and also held the post of deputy minister of energy, Sputnik-Georgia clarifies.