Tensions
Adjaran leader Aslan Abashidze, being in strong opposition to the Rose Revolution, declared the state of emergency immediately after Eduard Shevardnadze’s ousting on November 23, 2003. Following the negotiations with central authorities, the state of emergency was temporarily canceled on January 3, 2004 just day before the presidential elections in Georgia. The renewal of the state of emergency on January 7 was followed by the crackdown of an oppositional demonstration. On January 19, dozens were injured as a result of the clash between the protesters and the police in the southern Adjarn village of Gonio. The protesters demanded resignation of Aslan Abashidze, the head of Adjara Autonomous Republic. In the wake of Adjaran leader Aslan Abashidze’s visit to Moscow, Russian foreign Ministry issued a statement on January 20 backing Abashidze’s policy and condemning his opposition as “extremist forces.” In late January, Georgian officials, including Acting President Nino Burjanadze and President-elected Mikheil Saakashvili met with Abashidze in Batumi.
On February 20, the opposition movement’s offices were again raided after the opposition had staged a protest rally in Batumi. The clashes between the supporters and opposition of the Adjaran leader also took place in Kobuleti. Disorders coincided with the visit of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe (CoE) Walter Schwimmer in Batumi, who held talks with Aslan Abashidze. President Saakashvili demanded from Adjaran leadership to abolish Autonomous Republic’s Security Ministry which was Abashidze’s main weapon of repression.
Read more about this topic: 2004 Adjara Crisis
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