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Georgia's PM Found Dead, Gas Poisoning Suspected

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  • Georgia's PM Found Dead, Gas Poisoning Suspected

    Georgia's PM Found Dead, Gas Poisoning Suspected

    Reuters
    February 3, 2005

    By Niko Mchedlishvili

    TBILISI (Reuters) - Georgia's Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania has died of
    apparent gas poisoning, the ex-Soviet state's Interior Minister said.

    "Since he did not answer his telephone for a long period his bodyguard
    broke through the window ... and found Mr Zhvania's body. We can say
    that this is a case of gas poisoning," Interior Minister Vano
    Merabishvili said on Georgian television.

    Zhvania was found dead at 4:30 a.m. Thursday (8:30 p.m. EST
    Wednesday), Merabishvili said, adding foul play was not suspected.

    News of Zhvania's death stunned the mountainous Caucasus republic of 5
    million, hit by separatist tensions and still recovering from a car
    bombing Tuesday which killed three policemen and seriously injured 15.

    Russia's Interfax news agency said Zhvania's body was found in the
    apartment of a friend, Raul Yusupov, deputy governor of a Georgian
    region, who also died.

    Zhvania, 41, was appointed prime minister in early 2004 by President
    Mikhail Saakashvili, who was swept to power by a wave of protests over
    a fraudulent election that forced veteran leader Eduard Shevardnadze
    to resign.

    Zhvania had for several years been an ally of Shevardnadze but joined
    Saakashvili in opposition and was instrumental in bringing about the
    so-called "rose revolution" to force out Shevardnadze.

    There were reports of friction between Saakashvili and Zhvania, though
    neither man aired this in public.


    http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=6&a mp;u=/nm/20050203/ts_nm/georgia_premier_dc
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