Raul Usupov (1980 – February 3, 2005) was a politician in the nation of Georgia

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...

 and deputy governor of Kvemo Kartli

Kvemo Kartli

Kvemo Kartli is a historic province and current administrative region in southeastern Georgia. The city of Rustavi is a regional capital. The population is mixed between Azeris and Georgians .The current governor is Davit Kirkitadze.- External links :* *...

 region.

He was born in the village of Karajala, near Telavi

Telavi

Telavi is the main city and administrative center of Georgia's eastern province of Kakheti. Its population consists of some 21,800 inhabitants . The city is located on foot-hills of Tsiv-Gombori Range at 500-800 meters above the sea level....

, Kakheti

Kakheti

Kakheti is a historical province in Eastern Georgia inhabited by Kakhetians who speak a local dialect of Georgian. It is bordered by the small mountainous province of Tusheti and the Greater Caucasus mountain range to the north, Russian Federation to the Northeast, Azerbaijan to the Southeast, and...

, to Azeri parents - Yashar and Lily Usupov. At the age of 20, he moved to 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...

, where he got married and had a daughter. He later joined Georgia's United National Movement

National Movement - Democrats

United National Movement is the main center-right party, largest political organization and current governing party in Georgia.- History :UNM was founded in October 2001 by Mikheil Saakashvili...

, then led by Zurab Zhvania

Zurab Zhvania

Zurab Zhvania was a prominent Georgian politician, having served as Prime Minister of Georgia and Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia as well as Minister without Portfolio. Zhvania assumed premiership on 18 February 2004 and remained on the position until his death on 3 February 2005...

 (who later became Georgia's Prime Minister

Prime minister

A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...

). He became a close friend of Zhvania and it was in Usupov's flat in Tbilisi that the two men were found dead in the early hours of the morning of 3 February 2005, apparently as a result of a natural gas leak, and with "no sign of foul play", according to Georgian authorities and FBI officers.