Abkhazian GPO does not exclude that Muslim community was attacked by radicals

The General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) of Abkhazia has moved a number of versions associated with the attack on members of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Abkhazia (SAM) committed on October 8 in the city of Gudauta.

"The versions have been moved on the basis of collected and analyzed information obtained as a result of investigative and operational activities both under the present criminal case and in the criminal cases initiated in connection of earlier committed murder of Chakmach-oglu Emmik, an official of the SAMA, and a murder attempt of Salikh Kvaratskheliya last summer," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told at the local GPO's press service.

According to the source, "a version is considered of involvement of radical Islamists from abroad, who had failed to find support to radical Islam in Abkhazia, in the above crimes."

The investigation also does not rule out the version of involvement of foreign special services "with the aim to kindle inter-confessional enmity in Abkhazia and destabilize friendly relations with the Russian Federation."

The investigation is under supervision of the local GPO.

The Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Abkhazia (SAMA) has regarded what happened on October 8 in Gudauta as a terror act and expressed deep indignation with "another brutal and savage action." The SAMA treats this act as "a demonstrative murder attempt, harassment and intimidation of citizens of the Republic of Abkhazia professing Islam, runs the SAMA's statement.

The SAMA also appeals to Muslim organizations of the Russian Federation, Turkey and Middle East, where numerous Abkhaz-Adyg Diasporas live and to international human rights organizations "to draw attention to the events occurring in respect of the citizens of the Republic of Abkhazia, professing Islam." The SAMA also calls on the Abkhazian Orthodox Church and other religious communities of the republic "to react and express their attitude to these tragic events."