Widow of Georgia's first president requests political asylum in Germany

Manana Archvadze, the widow of Zviad Gamsakhurdia, the late first president of Georgia, addressed Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, via the ambassador of Germany, with a request of political asylum.

"For many years in Georgia pressure has been exerted on my family; that's a violation of both the Constitution of the country, and the declaration of the UN and the Helsinki Union, - she said. - Therefore I had to address the embassy of Germany."

According to Archavadze, in case she is granted the asylum in Germany, she will not renounce Georgian citizenship.

Yesterday Tsotne Gamsakhurdia, the son of the late President, staying in pretorial incarceration, resumed his hunger strike to protest against the decision of Tbilisi court to extend the investigation of his case for 4 moths.

He was arrested on October 27th and accused of shooting at his neighbor David Bajelidze.

The neighbor claimed Gamsakhurdia didn't shoot at him. Tsotne had initially disagreed with charges and declared hunger strike he had to break due to deterioration of health. That hunger strike lasted for 38 days.

/Georgian Times/