Former Georgian Defense Minister Tengiz Kitovani died on November 13 in Tbilisi at the age of 85. Kitovani played a key role in toppling Georgia's first president, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, in 1992. In August 1992, Kitovani ordered Georgia's National Guard to enter the breakaway region of Abkhazia, which sparked a 13-month war in the region. In 1996, Kitovani was sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of organizing illegally armed groups. In 1999, he was granted a presidential pardon. In the early 2000s, Kitovani moved to Moscow and stayed there until his return to Georgia in 2012. To read the original story by RFE/RL's Georgian Service, click here.
Former Georgian Defense Minister Tengiz Kitovani Dies At 85
Tengiz Kitovani (center) is seen in the city streets following heavy fighting in Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia in 1992.