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Recently-bailed opposition leader Okruashvili leaves Georgia - 2

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Former Georgian defense minister Irakly Okruashvili has left Georgia, the country's ex-minister for conflict resolution said on Thursday.
(Adds reaction of lawyer, prosecutors in paras 7-10)

TBILISI, November 1 (RIA Novosti) - Former Georgian defense minister Irakly Okruashvili has left Georgia, the country's ex-minister for conflict resolution said on Thursday.

According to preliminary information, Okruashvili flew to Munich.

Georgy Khaindrava said state authorities had taken Okruashvili out of the country. He declined to give any further details.

In late September Irakly Okruashvili, who was dismissed as defense minister in November 2006, accused President Mikheil Saakashvili of ordering the murders of political opponents. He was subsequently arrested and released on October 9 on $6 million bail after backing down on the accusation in a televised interview with state prosecutors.

The opposition later claimed that psychotropic drugs had been used against Okruashvili in order to get him to retract his accusations. The claims were denied by the Georgian government.

An opposition spokesman reported on October 11 that Okruashvili had decided to quit politics.

Eka Beseliya, Okruashvili's lawyer and an opposition representative, told journalists on Thursday that her client had been forced to leave the country on the eve of an opposition rally planned for November 2.

"Last night, about midnight, I met with Okruashvili and he said he was going to attend the protest rally. And then, two hours ago, he called me from Munich and said he had had to leave," she said.

She also said Justice Ministry penitentiary department officials participated in the operation to persuade Okruashvili to leave Georgia, adding that the ex-defense minister's wife and child still remain in Georgia.

Georgian prosecutors said Okruashvili had asked for permission to leave the country for medical treatment, saying that he had informed them on October 29 that he required "medical treatment outside of Georgia". They added that they had granted their consent for this.

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