Man detained for attack on ex-cabinet Minister Alex Petriashvili

A 41-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly attacking and shooting ex-cabinet minister and one of the leaders of the opposition Free Democrats (FD) political party Alex Petriashvili.

This afternoon Georgia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs announced a man only named as Levan. M had been detained in Borjomi in central Georgia for his role in the February 26 attack on Petriashvili.

The detained man and another assailant are accused of assaulting and shooting Petriashvili in a Tbilisi cemetery last month.

The investigation is still ongoing to determine the motive behind the attack. Police are still seeking to identify and find a second man believed to be involved in the attack.

The Ministry said Levan. M attacked Petriashvili with a hammer, causing head injuries. He then shot the former official and again attacked him with a club.

While investigating the scene of the attack law enforcers found the hammer and a cap allegedly belonging to the offender.

The Ministry said DNA found on the hammer matched Levan M’s DNA sample and blood stains on the tool matched Alex Petriashvili’s genetic profile. 

Petriashvili, Georgia’s former Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, was shot here times and suffered head wounds and other injuries in the attack. Shortly after he was taken to Tbilisi Republican Hospital and underwent two operations. 

He has already been questioned by police about the incident.

In the hours after the attack the Ministry’s launched an investigation which covered premeditated assault causing serious bodily harm. However last week Free Democrats members demanded this charge be intensified, and claimed it was a premeditated murder attempt. 

Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Minister of Internal Affairs Giorgi Mghebrishvili and Free Democrats leader Irakli Alasania condemned the attack.