218:
293:
On 20 July 2005, acting on a tip from a hotline, police raided
Arutyunian's home where he lived with his mother. During an ensuing gunfight, Arutyunian killed the head of the Interior Ministry's counterintelligence department, Zurab Kvlividze. He then fled into the woods in the village of Vashlijvari
245:
The grenade failed to detonate. Although original reports indicated that the grenade was not live, it was later revealed that it was. After
Arutyunian pulled the pin and threw the grenade, it hit a girl, cushioning its impact. The red handkerchief remained wrapped around the grenade, and it prevented
338:
proved." She cited the fact that
Arutyunian's fingerprints were not found on the grenade. However, prosecutor Anzor Khvadagiani said that the grenade being wrapped in cloth explained the lack of distinguishable fingerprints and also that DNA tests of material found on the cloth matched Arutyunian's.
337:
Arutyunian initially admitted his guilt when arrested but refused to cooperate during the trial. He pleaded not guilty, then refused to answer questions in court. His lawyer
Elisabed Japaridze said after the conviction and sentencing that she would appeal. "I consider that everything was far from
345:
for the attempted assassination of George Bush and
Mikheil Saakashvili, and the killing of Officer Kvlividze. In September 2005, a United States federal grand jury also indicted Arutyunian, and could ask to extradite him if he is ever released. He is not eligible for parole, and could only be
189:. Arutyunian lost his father at an early age and lived with his mother, who was a stall-holder at the local street market. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, they lived in one of the poorest suburbs of Tbilisi. After completing his secondary education, he had no fixed occupation.
304:
samples from
Arutyunian matched the DNA samples from the handkerchief. Georgian police later found a chemical lab and a stockpile of explosives, chemicals and other material Arutyunian had built up in his apartment. Twenty liters (5.3 U.S. gallons) of
276:
began an investigation into the incident. Extra manpower was brought in from the surrounding region to help with the investigation. In one picture of the crowd, the FBI noted a man in the bleachers with a large camera. He was a visiting professor from
834:'Pardoning is not what some of you might think. This does not mean someone's guilt is nullified. This does not represent revision of any court … This is a subjective, personal decision of the President under exercising her own duties,'
208:
by refusing to obey the central government authorities. Saakashvili and his party were considered to be pro-United States, while
Abashidze and his party were considered to be pro-Russia. The crisis ended in 2004 without bloodshed.
891:
896:
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150:
233:
hand grenade, wrapped in a red tartan handkerchief, toward the podium where Bush stood as he addressed the crowd. The grenade landed 18.6 metres (61 ft) from the podium, near where
Saakashvili, his wife
838:
said, adding that the pardons are based on subjective 'assessment of circumstances', which 'does not preclude mistakes' or the possibility of there being differing assessments of the same circumstances by
329:
After his arrest, Arutyunian was shown on television admitting from his hospital bed that he had thrown the grenade. He said that he had attempted to assassinate both presidents because he hated
Georgia's
249:
Arutyunian later said that he threw the grenade "towards the heads" so that "the shrapnel would fly behind the bulletproof glass". Bush and
Saakashvili did not learn of the incident until after the rally.
881:
437:"В МВД Грузии заявляют, что напавший на Буша не связан с какими-либо группировками [In the Georgian Interior Ministry claimed that attacked Bush is not associated with any groups]"
876:
886:
225:
On 10 May 2005, Arutyunian waited for the United States President George W. Bush and Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to speak in Tbilisi's central
217:
309:, several drawers full of mercury thermometers, a microscope, and "enough dangerous substances to carry out several terrorist acts" were found.
259:
791:
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for being a "puppet" of the United States. He further stated that he did not regret what he did and would do it again if he had the chance.
33:
331:
186:
63:
871:
866:
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273:
415:"Пожизненный срок за попытку убить сразу двух президентов [A life sentence for attempting to kill two presidents]"
193:
246:
the striker lever from releasing. A Georgian security officer quickly removed the grenade, and Arutyunian disappeared.
718:
221:
Presidents George W. Bush (left) of the U.S. and Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia (right) in Tbilisi on 10 May 2005
135:
165:
at both of them. The attempt failed when the grenade did not detonate. He was later arrested and sentenced to
200:
in January 2004, but soon after left the organization's ranks. He joined the Revival party in the same month
226:
861:
764:
458:
394:
516:"The Case of the Failed Hand Grenade Attack: Man Who Tried to Assassinate President Convicted Overseas"
856:
835:
515:
178:
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201:
158:
91:
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205:
571:
388:
342:
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126:
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101:
75:
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285:. FBI agents contacted him and, with his photographs, were able to identify a suspect.
235:
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154:
87:
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298:. After being wounded in the leg, he was captured by Georgia's anti-terror unit.
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issued photos of an unidentified suspect and announced a reward of 150,000
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269:(US$ 80,000) for information leading to the suspect's identification.
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817:
360:
List of United States presidential assassination attempts and plots
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278:
230:
216:
892:
Prisoners from Georgia (country) sentenced to life imprisonment
301:
897:
Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Georgia (country)
341:
On 11 January 2006, a Georgian court sentenced Arutyunian to
319:
I don't consider myself a terrorist, I'm just a human being.
229:. When Bush began speaking, Arutyunian threw a Soviet-made
459:"Georgia: A Swan Song for the Gray Fox of the Caucasus?"
350:, but such pardons are almost never granted in Georgia.
37:
Arutyunian waiting with a hand grenade in a handkerchief
140:
697:"Shoot-Out Ends Georgian Manhunt For Grenade Suspect"
719:"Attempted Presidential Assassin Convicted Overseas"
16:
Georgian attempted presidential assassin (born 1978)
882:
Failed assassins of presidents of the United States
765:"Man sentenced to life for tossing grenade at Bush"
177:Vladimir Arutyunian, a Georgian citizen and ethnic
97:
82:
71:
42:
23:
272:At the request of the Georgian government, the US
572:"FBI says hand grenade thrown at Bush was live"
317:
818:"Facing Criticism, President Suspends Pardons"
439:(in Russian). Kavkaz-uzel.ru. 11 November 2005
117:
8:
759:
757:
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734:"Bush's would-be assassin begins life term"
149:national who, on 10 May 2005, attempted to
565:
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31:
20:
543:"Alleged would-be Bush assassin indicted"
417:(in Russian). Vremya.ru. 12 January 2006
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622:"Life For Grenade Toss at Bush Rally"
510:
508:
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7:
877:People convicted of attempted murder
204:became president of Georgia and had
887:Georgian people of Armenian descent
644:"Bush grenade suspect faces charge"
599:"Man Details Failed Grenade Attack"
367:(attempted Theodore Roosevelt 1912)
242:, and other officials were seated.
790:Chilcote, Ryan (11 January 2006).
541:Terry Frieden (7 September 2005).
485:"Hand grenade found at Bush rally"
14:
792:"Bush grenade attacker gets life"
675:"Georgian jailed for Bush attack"
824:. UNA-Georgia. 18 September 2019
732:Parfitt, Tom (12 January 2006).
570:Nick Paton Walsh (19 May 2005).
520:Federal Bureau of Investigation
274:Federal Bureau of Investigation
181:, was born on 12 March 1978 in
620:Pace, Gina (11 January 2006).
1:
597:Alfano, Sean (23 July 2005).
194:Democratic Union for Revival
258:On 18 July 2005, Georgia's
145:; born 12 March 1978) is a
141:
86:Attempted assassination of
913:
130:
118:
30:
153:United States President
391:(attempted Reagan 1981)
157:and Georgian President
872:21st-century criminals
867:Criminals from Tbilisi
699:. RFE/RL. 21 July 2005
677:. BBC. 11 January 2006
397:(attempted Trump 2024)
373:(attempted Nixon 1974)
321:
222:
206:led Adjara in a crisis
192:Arutyunian joined the
131:Վլադիմիր Հարությունյան
794:. CNN. Archived from
395:Thomas Matthew Crooks
385:(attempted Ford 1975)
379:(attempted Ford 1975)
220:
213:Assassination attempt
142:Vladimir Harut’yunyan
313:Trial and conviction
294:on the outskirts of
348:presidential pardon
202:Mikheil Saakashvili
159:Mikheil Saakashvili
123:Vladimer Arutiniani
119:ვლადიმერ არუთინიანი
110:Vladimir Arutyunian
92:Mikheil Saakashvili
25:Vladimir Arutyunian
798:on 31 January 2011
465:. 21 November 2003
223:
771:. 11 January 2006
522:. 11 January 2006
389:John Hinckley Jr.
346:released under a
343:life imprisonment
263:Vano Merabishvili
260:Interior Minister
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102:Life imprisonment
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98:Criminal penalty
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383:Sara Jane Moore
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198:Aslan Abashidze
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67:
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650:. 22 July 2005
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377:Lynette Fromme
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332:new government
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255:
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236:Sandra Roelofs
227:Liberty Square
214:
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187:Soviet Georgia
174:
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167:life in prison
161:by throwing a
155:George W. Bush
105:
104:
99:
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88:George W. Bush
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83:Known for
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66:, Soviet Union
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491:. 11 May 2005
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55:(age 46)
53:12 March 1978
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836:Zurabishvili
833:
826:. Retrieved
821:
812:
802:10 September
800:. Retrieved
796:the original
785:
773:. Retrieved
742:. Retrieved
738:The Guardian
737:
727:
713:
701:. Retrieved
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679:. Retrieved
652:. Retrieved
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626:. Retrieved
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603:. Retrieved
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580:. Retrieved
576:The Guardian
575:
550:. Retrieved
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524:. Retrieved
493:. Retrieved
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467:. Retrieved
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441:. Retrieved
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419:. Retrieved
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365:John Schrank
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163:hand grenade
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64:Georgian SSR
18:
857:1978 births
775:12 February
469:12 February
443:12 February
421:12 February
371:Samuel Byck
324:—Arutyunian
151:assassinate
72:Nationality
851:Categories
744:17 October
703:17 October
681:9 December
654:17 October
628:17 October
605:17 October
601:. CBS News
526:6 December
402:References
240:Laura Bush
173:Background
49:1978-03-12
769:USA Today
254:Aftermath
136:romanized
822:Civil.ge
740:. London
648:BBC News
582:22 March
578:. London
552:22 March
463:Stratfor
354:See also
179:Armenian
147:Georgian
127:Armenian
114:Georgian
78:Armenian
76:Georgian
839:others.
828:3 March
296:Tbilisi
183:Tbilisi
138::
60:Tbilisi
289:Arrest
116::
624:. CBS
495:9 May
283:Idaho
279:Boise
231:RGD-5
830:2020
804:2010
777:2015
746:2009
705:2009
683:2014
656:2009
630:2009
607:2009
584:2007
554:2007
528:2015
497:2019
471:2015
445:2015
423:2015
267:lari
90:and
43:Born
547:CNN
489:BBC
302:DNA
853::
832:.
820:.
767:.
754:^
736:.
664:^
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574:.
562:^
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112:(
47:(
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