Georgia reinvestigating controversial death of country's 1st president Gamsakhurdia

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has stated that she welcomes the reinvestigation of the death of Georgia’s first President Zviad Gamsakhurdia. 

Two years ago when the statute of limitations was expiring I appealed to the legislative body to prolong the investigation. We should know the circumstances of the death,” Zurabishvili stated yesterday. 

First President of independent Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia died in Khibula, Samegrelo region of western Georgia, in circumstances that are still unclear and later was re-buried in the village of Jikhashkari of the same region.

Based on reports, his body was found with a single bullet wound to the head.

Several of Gamsakhurdia’s guards claimed that the first president committed suicide. However, Gamsakhurdia’s family strongly opposes this account of events and says that he was killed.

Gamsakhurdia was overthrown in a coup in 1992 and was trying to return to power when he was killed.