06 March 2019, 10:26
Abkhaz CC put a full stop in Lukava's pardoning
The president's decree to pardon Giorgi Lukava complies with the norms of the country's constitution, and the head of Abkhazia acted within the bounds of his powers, the Abkhaz Constitutional Court (CC) has explained.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Giorgi Lukava, one of the leaders of the "Forest Brothers", convicted by the Supreme Court of Abkhazia to 20 years of strict prison regime, on December 25, 2017, was handed over to Georgia. The Abkhaz opposition has criticized this decision.
The press service of the Abkhaz president has explained that the Lukava's transfer to Georgia was a part of the process of exchanging prisoners. He was exchanged for the citizens of Abkhazia convicted in Georgia, Anatoly Bibilov, the President of South Ossetia, has explained.
Giorgi Lukava was convicted in Abkhazia under the articles on banditry, murder and kidnapping. The court found him guilty of assaulting Abkhaz militaries in the village of Taglan, Gali District, and killing them on the basis of ethnic hatred, as well as of killing an Abkhaz resident because of his similarity to Vladislav Ardzinba, the president of the republic.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 6, 2019 at 08:24 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
