Badri Bitsadze

Badri Bitsadze
First Gentleman of Georgia
Acting
In role
25 November 2007 – 20 January 2008
PresidentNino Burjanadze
Preceded bySandra Roelofs
Succeeded bySandra Roelofs
In role
23 November 2003 – 25 January 2004
PresidentNino Burjanadze
Preceded byNanuli Shevardnadze
Succeeded bySandra Roelofs
Chief of the Border Police of Georgia
In office
July 2006 – 29 October 2008
PresidentMikheil Saakashvili
Nino Burjanadze (acting)
Mikheil Saakashvili
Preceded byposition established
Succeeded byZaza Gogava
Personal details
Born (1958-04-27) 27 April 1958 (age 66)
Chiatura, Georgian SSR, USSR
SpouseNino Burjanadze
Alma materTbilisi State University

Badri Bitsadze (Georgian: ბადრი ბიწაძე) (born 27 April 1958) is the former Chief of the Border Police of Georgia.[1] He holds the rank of Lieutenant General,[1] and previously held the posts of Chief Military Prosecutor, Deputy General Prosecutor, and Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs.[2][3] He is married to the former Chairwoman of the Parliament of Georgia and twofold former interim President of Georgia, Nino Burjanadze.

Bitsadze attended Tbilisi State University, Faculty of Law, and received a Ph.D. from USSR Scientific Institute for Prosecutors. He's a recipient of the III Degree Vakhtang Gorgasali Order award.[1]

Bitsadze resigned his position on 29 October 2008, claiming that a campaign to discredit the agency was underway because his wife, the former parliamentary chairperson, had withdrawn into opposition to the current government.[4]

Later that year, Bitsadze became involved with his wife's newly founded party Democratic Movement–United Georgia. In March 2009, several party activists, including a driver of Badri Bitsadze, were arrested by the Georgian police on arms charges. Burjanadze said after the Interior Ministry's statement that she was ready to cooperate with the investigation, but claimed that evidence put forth by the investigation was not enough and needed further scrutiny.[5]

Arrest

Bitsadze in his police uniform.

In early June 2011, Deputy Prosecutor General David Sakvarelidze said he had requested the Tbilisi City Court issue an arrest warrant for Badri Bitsadze, who was accused of organizing attacks on policemen during anti-governmental protests in May 2011 in an alleged "Egyptian scenario" to overthrow the government and did not pay 100,000 Lari for bail.[6][7] His whereabouts were not clear, however on July 25, Nino Burjanadze gave an interview, where she stated that her husband would seek for political asylum.[8] In July and August 2011, Bitsadze was tried and sentenced to five years and six months in jail in absentia.[7][9] The investigation of this issue, had been very controversial, due to shortage of strong evidences.[10]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Badri Bitsadze.
  1. ^ a b c MIA Border Police Of Georgia
  2. ^ "The Georgian Times on the Web: Comprehensive news site, daily international, national and local news coverage , breaking news updates, sports, reviews". Archived from the original on 2007-10-18. Retrieved 2007-12-14.
  3. ^ "July 19, 2005 - Ambassador Richard Miles Participates In National Coast Guard Day At Poti Harbor". Archived from the original on September 23, 2006. Retrieved December 14, 2007.
  4. ^ Chief of Border Police Resigns. Civil Georgia. 2008-10-29.
  5. ^ Opposition Activists Held on Arms Charges. Civil Georgia. March 23, 2009
  6. ^ "Georgian Prosecutor General Demands Badri Bitsadze's Arrest - Kanal PIK TV". Archived from the original on 2012-03-24. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
  7. ^ a b "Georgia will try dissident in abstentia". United Press International. 29 July 2011.
  8. ^ "Redirect". Archived from the original on 2011-10-04. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
  9. ^ "Burjanadze's Husband Sentenced in Absentia". Civil Georgia. 19 August 2011.
  10. ^ Schwirtz, Michael (30 May 2011). "Charges for Opposition Protest in Georgia". The New York Times.