Wounded Petriashvili speaks to police about his shooting

Alex Petriashvili has spoken to police about the attack which saw him shot three times and rushed to hospital for emergency surgery.

Petriashvili, a co-leader of the opposition Free Democrats political party and an ex-cabinet minister, was well enough to speak to police last night but his condition deteriorated so questioning stopped.

Last night Petriashvili told police his account of how he was physically abused and shot three times by unidentified people while visiting the grave of his friend in Saburtalo on February 26.

Petriashvili’s lawyer Levan Samushia attended the several-hour questioning at the Republican Hospital in capital Tbilisi. He said Petriashvili could remember some details of the incident but he did not know the names of the attackers. 

The lawyer added the questioning might continue today as during questioning, Petriashvili’s temperature rose and he was unable to tell the whole story.

If he feels better today, the questioning process will continue,” Samushia said. 

The lawyer added he and Petriashvili’s political allies believed the charges facing the offenders in the case should be upgraded.

Currently the case is underway for premeditated assault causing serious bodily harm, while Samushia and Petriashvili’s friends from the Free Democrats party believe it was an attempt of premeditated murder. 

Petriashvili was physically assaulted and shot several times by unidentified people while he visited a friend’s grave at a cemetery in Saburtalo on February 26. 

He suffered three gunshot wounds; two to his lower legs and one in his back, which had lodged near his kidney. He also sustained a head injury caused by a blunt object. 

After being taken to hospital he underwent two emergency operations and was now recovering.