Georgian priest arrested for attempted murder

The head of Kintsvisi monastery, David Akiashvili, has been detained for attempted murder and the purchase, possession and use of firearms.

The case concerns a showdown between clerics on April 20, when Akiashvili shot and wounded the rector of another monastery, archimandrite Saba Zhgenti. Now there are new details: Zhgenti’s car was fired on the road near the village of Rieti, Karelian municipality.

The patriarchate initially denied information about the conflict between clergy. Davil Akiashvili is a relative and close associate of the influential Metropolitan Iob (Akiashvili).

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The Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched a criminal case. The suspected clergyman – born in 1986, has detained in Kareli. He may be sentenced to imprisonment of seven to 15 years.