13:42, 20 September 2013

Lakaev, suspect of killing Russian diplomat in Sukhumi, waits for arrival of relatives to Georgia

Batumi, Georgia. Photo: Jason Rosenberg, http://commons.wikimedia.org/

Yusup Lakaev, who was detained in Georgia and is suspected of killing a Russian diplomat in Sukhumi, is now in hospital waiting for arrival of his relatives to Georgia. His advocate has not yet challenged his arrest.

According to the General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) of Abkhazia, the molecular-genetic examination has confirmed Lakaev's involvement in the murder of Vishernev. Russia plans to ask Georgia to give Lakaev out, Vladimir Markin, the spokesman of the ICRF, said on September 19.

"Time will show what the Georgian authorities of justice do in the future. It's too early to talk about extradition of the detained participant in the incident in Batumi," the "Frontnews" quotes the head of the press service of the Georgia's GPO.

Experts in Abkhazia believe that the aim of Vishernev's murder was to destabilize the situation in the region.

"Judging by the person of Lakaev, who had been tried for his links with illegal armed formations (IAFs), the aim of the murder of the Russian diplomat in Abkhazia could be destabilization of the situation in the region," Christian Bzhaniya, the official spokesman of the President of Abkhazia, said on September 19 as quoted by the "Vesti.Ru".