Circumstances

Zhvania died early in the morning of February 3, 2005 from what officials claimed was carbon monoxide poisoning, due to an inadequately ventilated gas heater. He was in the home of Raul Usupov, deputy governor of Georgia's Kvemo Kartli region, at the time. Usupov also died.

Guards entered the house after there was no word from Zhvania for several hours to find him in an armchair and Usupov in the kitchen. Details of the incident are still limited, although officials have said there was a gas-powered heating stove in the main room of the house, where a table was set up with a backgammon set lying open upon it.

Immediately after the incident, live on Rustavi-2 television, Georgia's Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili said there was no reason to suspect foul play. Bodies were taken to the coroner's office, where a preliminary examination showed both died from carbon monoxide poisoning. There were reports of serious technical violations when the gas heaters were installed, with officials saying there was no ventilation in the apartment.

However, Zhvania's family members have questioned the official version of the death, with Goga Zhvania having said that he was sure that his brother was assassinated. In March 2006 interview with the Washington Post Georgia's ex-president Eduard Shevardnadze also said that he believed Zhvania was murdered.

In 2007, Irakly Okruashvili, former minister of defense of Georgia, claimed that Zhvania's corpse had been taken to the apartment where he was found dead (officially he died of accidental poisoning with carbon monoxide).

                                                                     © Olga Sikharulidze 2006.