General Prosecutor's Office of Abkhazia files charges against Ankvab's attackers

Today the General Prosecutor's Office of Abkhazia brought the final version of the accusation against the four people arrested on criminal charges of attempting to take the life of President Alexander Ankvab, the representative of the supervisory authority reported. They were also accused of attempting to assassinate the president in November 2011 and January 2012.

"The actions of these individuals are qualified under Part 2 of Article 203 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Abkhazia – "participation in a stable armed group (band), or in attacks committed by it," a spokesman said, RIA Novosti reports.

As VK previously reported, Ankvab’s motorcade was ambushed on February 22 last year. After a landmine explosion on his way on the Gudauta-Sukhumi highway, near the village of Druzhba in the Gudauta district, he was fired at by machine guns and grenade launchers. His guards were able to withdraw the president from the barrage and return fire. As a result of the shooting, several security officers were injured, two were killed. One car was burnt out completely. Less than a month later the police of Abkhazia announced the arrests of six people on suspicion of an attempt on the president's life, but two of them were later released. The Sukhumi court chose custody for the four detainees.

These four citizens of Abkhazia were also accused of crimes under Article 275 of the RA Criminal Code - an attempt on the life of a statesman - President Ankvab, committed to end his activity; Article 319 of the RA Criminal Code - encroachment on the life of a law enforcement officer engaged in maintaining public order and public security - the guards of the President of the Republic, and other articles of the Criminal Code.

In the coming days, the final version of the charges will be brought against the other defendants in the criminal case, the representative of the General Prosecutor said.