Georgia Reopens U.S. Diplomat Murder Case

The Georgian media reported that the General Prosecutor?s Office has reopened the murder case of Freddy Woodruff, an officer of the political department of the US Embassy in Tbilisi, who was assassinated in Georgia more than ten years ago.

Freddy Woodruff, who was reportedly a CIA agent, was shot in August 1993 in his car outside Tbilisi. Irakli Batiashvili, who was then Georgia?s Security Minister, has been summoned by the General Prosecutor?s Office on February 22 for questioning regarding the case.

Shortly after the murder, the police arrested Georgian serviceman Anzor Sharmaidze, who was accused of murdering Woodruff and consequently sentenced to 15 years of imprisonment.

Last May, Michael Pullara, the lawyer who represents the family of Freddy Woodruff, appealed the Georgian General Prosecutor?s Office with the request to reopen the case; however, the Georgian side rejected this appeal.

But, in January, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili unexpectedly announced that Georgia will reinvestigate the murder case.

?We want to carry out an open and transparent investigation of this case,? he said on January 22, adding that representatives from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation should participate in the investigation.