Giorgadze Threatens ‘Revolution of Nettles’

Speaking at a news conference in Moscow on May 24 Igor Giorgadze, who is wanted by Georgia on terrorism charges, said that he will stage a ‘Revolution of Nettles’ if President Saakashvili’s administration refuses to hold early presidential and parliamentary elections, the RIA Novosti and Interfax news agencies reported.

Giorgadze, who was Georgia’s security chief from 1993-95, said that he will not appeal Russia for political asylum despite the Russian Deputy General Prosecutor’s statement that Moscow is ready to grant Giorgadze this status.

“I am not going to escape, or hide,” Giorgadze, who is on Interpol’s international wanted list for masterminding a terrorist act against ex-President Eduard Shevardnadze in 1995, said at the news conference in Moscow.

He also said that Russia has already provided him assistance, which will help him internationally clear the charges brought against Giorgadze in Georgia.

“I am not asking Russia for citizenship or for a political asylum. It is already enough for me that Russia gives me permission to stay here, that the Russian law enforcement agencies are not hunting for me at the request of Georgia, and that my lawyers will be looking for opportunities to clear me of these smearing charges,” Giorgadze said.

Giorgadze, who leads the Justice Party, said that Georgian leadership’s policy will lead the country into an “abyss.”

“If the Georgian authorities fail to follow the will of the people and if they do not quit and hold early presidential and parliamentary elections, we will accomplish [hold them after a revolution], like the Rose Revolution, but the name of this will be the ‘Revolution of Nettles’,” Giorgadze said.

He also said that cooperation with Russia will be his top priority.

“We are not simply for normal relations with Russia, but we are for the establishment of friendly relations with Russia,” he said.

“I want to tell my compatriots that if ballots are cast in favor of us, visa requirements with Russia will disappear in three days,” Giorgadze added.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)