Council of Europe places commemorative star plaque to ex Georgian PM Zhvania at headquarters

The Council of Europe places a commemorative star plaque in the memory of former Georgian prime minister Zurab Zhvania at its headquarters in Strasbourg, France, the Georgian parliament’s press office announced today.

In addition to the name and surname of the former Georgian PM, the star also includes historic words by Zhvania pronounced at the CoE assembly 20 years ago, when Georgia became the 41st member of the council.

The words are: “I am Georgian, and therefore I am European”.

We are very proud that a commemorative star to Zurab Zhvania is placed at the CoE. Stars are given to politicians who contributed much to the council,” Vice Parliament Speaker Tamar Chugoshvili said.

Zhvania and Kvemo Kartli governor Raul Usubov were found dead in a rented apartment in Tbilisi in February 2005.

Zhvania was 42 at the time.

He was one of the key figures of the 2003 Rose revolution, overthrowing the rule of President Eduard Shevardnadze.

In 2005, he served as prime minister under the United National Movement government.

The official version of the investigation was that carbon monoxide poisoning caused his death.

However, Zhvania’s family and many in the country believed and still believe that he was killed.

The Georgian Dream government reopened the case in 2012. However, there has been no progress so far.