Akaki Eliava
Encyclopedia
Akaki Eliava (1956-2000) was a Georgian
military officer involved in the Georgian civil war
, 1993. Supporter of the ousted president Zviad Gamsakhurdia
, he staged an abortive revolt against the government of Eduard Shevardnadze
in 1998, and was killed in a skirmish with police in 2000.
Born in Senaki
, western Georgia, he joined in 1992 the National Guard, a powerful paramilitary force large faction of which had been involved in a successful coup against President Zviad Gamsakhurdia
in December 1991-January 1992. When the ousted president returned to Georgia to reclaim power in September 1993, Colonel Eliava met him with his battalion at the Zugdidi
airport, and rallied Gamsakhurdia’s supporters to march on the capital Tbilisi
. The rebellion was, however, defeated and the ex-president died in unclear circumstances on December 31, 1993.
Eliava was arrested, but granted his amnesty
in a few months, and joined the reconstructed armed forces of Georgia
retaining the rank of colonel. On October 18-19, he organized a revolt at Senaki
and marched on the city of Kutaisi
. The mutiny collapsed, however, and Eliava and his 30 supporters hid out in the Mingrelian forests in western Georgia. Later, he demanded the resignation of President Shevardnadze. Despite the Georgian government claimed he was involved in organized crime, smuggling and Mafia
activities, no serious measures were undertaken to detain him. Subsequently, he was granted another amnesty in 2000. However, he was arrested in the town of Zestaponi
, on July 9, 2000, and, according to an official version, shot to death when trying to take a policeman hostage.
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
military officer involved in the Georgian civil war
Georgian Civil War
The Georgian Civil War consisted of inter-ethnic and intranational conflicts in the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia , as well as the violent military coup d'etat of December 21, 1991 - January 6, 1992 against the first democratically elected President of Georgia, Zviad Gamsakhurdia and his...
, 1993. Supporter of the ousted president Zviad Gamsakhurdia
Zviad Gamsakhurdia
Zviad Gamsakhurdia was a dissident, scientist and writer, who became the first democratically elected President of the Republic of Georgia in the post-Soviet era...
, he staged an abortive revolt against the government of Eduard Shevardnadze
Eduard Shevardnadze
Eduard Shevardnadze is a former Soviet, and later, Georgian statesman from the height to the end of the Cold War. He served as President of Georgia from 1995 to 2003, and as First Secretary of the Georgian Communist Party , from 1972 to 1985. Shevardnadze was responsible for many top decisions on...
in 1998, and was killed in a skirmish with police in 2000.
Born in Senaki
Senaki
Senaki is a town in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, western Georgia. It is located at around .From 1935 to 1976 it was called Tskhakaya in honor of the Georgian Bolshevik revolutionary leader Mikhail Tskhakaya....
, western Georgia, he joined in 1992 the National Guard, a powerful paramilitary force large faction of which had been involved in a successful coup against President Zviad Gamsakhurdia
Zviad Gamsakhurdia
Zviad Gamsakhurdia was a dissident, scientist and writer, who became the first democratically elected President of the Republic of Georgia in the post-Soviet era...
in December 1991-January 1992. When the ousted president returned to Georgia to reclaim power in September 1993, Colonel Eliava met him with his battalion at the Zugdidi
Zugdidi
Zugdidi is a city in the Western Georgian historical province of Samegrelo . It is situated in the north-west of that province. The city is located 318 kilometres west of Tbilisi, 30 km. from Black sea coast and 30 km. from Egrisi range. 100-110 metres above sea level. As of 2007, it had a...
airport, and rallied Gamsakhurdia’s supporters to march on the capital Tbilisi
Tbilisi
Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...
. The rebellion was, however, defeated and the ex-president died in unclear circumstances on December 31, 1993.
Eliava was arrested, but granted his amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
in a few months, and joined the reconstructed armed forces of Georgia
Military of Georgia
The Georgian Armed Forces , is the name of the unified armed forces of Georgia. The Georgian military is a defence force consisting of the Georgian Land Forces, Georgian Air Force and a paramilitary organization Georgian National Guard...
retaining the rank of colonel. On October 18-19, he organized a revolt at Senaki
Senaki
Senaki is a town in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, western Georgia. It is located at around .From 1935 to 1976 it was called Tskhakaya in honor of the Georgian Bolshevik revolutionary leader Mikhail Tskhakaya....
and marched on the city of Kutaisi
Kutaisi
Kutaisi is Georgia's second largest city and the capital of the western region of Imereti. It is 221 km to the west of Tbilisi.-Geography:...
. The mutiny collapsed, however, and Eliava and his 30 supporters hid out in the Mingrelian forests in western Georgia. Later, he demanded the resignation of President Shevardnadze. Despite the Georgian government claimed he was involved in organized crime, smuggling and Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
activities, no serious measures were undertaken to detain him. Subsequently, he was granted another amnesty in 2000. However, he was arrested in the town of Zestaponi
Zestaponi
Zestafoni or Zestaponi is the capital of Zestaponi District in Western Georgia, which is part of Imereti province.It is an important industrial center, with a large ferro-alloy plant processing manganese ore from nearby Chiatura....
, on July 9, 2000, and, according to an official version, shot to death when trying to take a policeman hostage.