TBILISI. Nov 9 (Interfax-AVN) - Former commander of the Georgian Land Forces Gudzhar Kurashvili was sentenced to three years imprisonment for high treason, a spokesman for the Georgian State Security Ministry's investigation department told Interfax-Military News Agency.
The sentence was brought in by the Georgian Supreme Court late on Thursday.
The court found Kurashvili guilty of preparing a deposition of the authorities and performing other actions aimed against the republic's interests. Such crimes are punished by up to five years in prison in accordance with the Georgian Criminal Code. but Kurashvili was sentenced to three years due to poor health.
The court took into account that Kurashvili had spent 2.5 years in prison and that is why he is to spend six more months there.
Kurashvili was arrested in May 1999 on charges of organizing an attempt on Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze and high treason. The trial which started seven months ago failed to prove his involvement in organization of the attempt.
Kurashvili was a professional serviceman of the USSR Armed Forces. After the Soviet Union collapsed he retired from service and participated in the Georgian Armed Forces establishment. During the Georgia-Abkhazia war of 1992 to 1993 Kurashvili commanded a so-called attack group of the Georgian army and later was appointed Land Forces commander.