Russia denies involvement in death of Georgia's PM

MOSCOW - Russia angrily rebuffed suggestions yesterday that Moscow was in any way involved with the sudden death of Georgia's Prime Minister, Zurab Zhvania, one of the architects of the country's bloodless Rose Revolution.

Mr Zhvania's lifeless body was found in a friend's flat in the Georgian capital Tbilisi early yesterday morning. His friend, Raul Usupov, with whom he had apparently been playing backgammon, was also dead.

Mr Zhvania, a pivotal figure in the so-called Rose Revolution that ousted Soviet-era Edvard Shevardnadze from power in 2003 and ushered in the pro-American Mikhail Saakashvili, was just 41.

Relations between Russia and the former Soviet republic of Georgia have been strained since Mr Saakashvili came to power over the continued presence of Russian troops on Georgian soil, various territorial disputes and the closeness of Mr Saakashvili's relationship with Washington.

Investigators said, however, that there was so far no evidence to suggest that he had died as a result of foul play and said it looked like the two men had been poisoned by carbon monoxide which had leaked from a faulty Iranian-made gas heater.

But MP Amiran Shalamberidze noted his death had come days after a car bomb killed three policemen and suggested the two events were linked to Georgia's dispute with Russia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia.

"There is the impression that these tragic facts didn't occur by chance," ITAR-Tass quoted him as saying. "But were the result of interference from certain outside forces. These forces are acting from Russia."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed such talk as nonsense.

"The statements of those who rush to make judgments...will remain on their consciences," he said.

- INDEPENDENT