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Georgian mutiny attempt ends with surrender

Published: 05/05/2009 05:00

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A former Georgian special forces commander and a tank battalion commander were arrested Tuesday for allegedly organizing an attempted mutiny that ended peacefully when most participants surrendered, officials said.

Georgian armoured vehicles approach the mutinous Mukhrovani army base east of Tbilisi May 5, 2009. The Georgian Interior Ministry said on Tuesday that they had put down a military rebellion at Mukhrovani army base aimed to disrupt NATO military exercises set to begin Wednesday in Georgia. (Xinhua/Guo Qun)

Defense Minister David Sikharulidze said the mutiny had been planned “on a broader scale” and was aimed at foiling planned NATO military exercises scheduled to begin Wednesday in Georgia, a former Soviet republic in the Caucasus.

“The general objective was to topple the government with an armed revolt,” Sikharulidze said.

Georgian officials said the mutiny began Tuesday when about 500members of a tank battalion stationed at a military base in Mukhrovani, 30 km from Tbilisi, announced that they would refuse to follow orders.

The mutineers, however, later handed over their weapons and surrendered. The surrender came after the mutineers spoke with President Mikhail Saakashvili, who suggested that force could be used against them if they refused to give themselves up, said Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili.

“The preliminary investigation materials showed that the plot was coordinated with the Russians and was aimed at disrupting the NATO training scheduled to take place in Georgia on May 6,” the spokesman said.

Georgian officials identified the organizer of the mutiny as Giya Gvaladze, a former special forces commander. Koba Kobaladze, a commander of the tank battalion, also was detained, the Interfax news agency reported.

The two men will be charged with planning a coup and involvement in the Russian special services, Utiashvili said.

Utiashvili said a video seized by the Interior Ministry showed Gvaladze talking to his followers about the planned mutiny.

“The Russians will come to help us, a total of 5,000 people, who intend to liquidate such leaders as Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili,” Gvaladze said in the video, according to Interfax.

Russia denied any involvement in the mutiny, the Itar-Tass news agency reported, citing a source in the Russian security services.

Dmitry Rogozin, Russia’s permanent representative to NATO, called the accusations ridiculous.

“Of course we have slowly begun to get accustomed to mad accusations by Georgian political and military authorities that if there is hail or thunderstorms, this is all Moscow’s work,” Rogozin was quoted by Interfax as saying.

The NATO exercises, which continue through June 1, were originally planned to include about 1,300 personnel from 19 NATO and partner nations. But Serbia and some former Soviet republics have recently decided not to take part.

Saakashvili, who is bent on bringing Georgia into NATO, has been the target of more than three weeks of protests by opposition demonstrators demanding he resign. His government has accused Russians of supporting the opposition.

Nino Burdzhanadze, an opposition leader, said she does not believe government reports of a planned coup.

“I can say for sure that I rule out that Georgian military servicemen were playing according to a Russian scenario as the Interior Ministry claims,” Interfax quoted her as saying.

VietNamNet/Xinhuanet

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