On November 17, 1983 the young fellows celebrated the wedding of Germane (Gega) Kobakhidze and Tinatin Petviashvili in the restaurant “Kalakuri”. Ana Varsimashvili, collaborator of Tbilisi international airport attended the party. She was on duty next day.

A married couple wanted to spend the honeymoon abroad. So on November 18, with the help of A. Varsimashvili they along with the following friends: Davit Mikaberidze, Soso Tsereteli, Eka Shalutashvili and Anano Meliva passed a checkpoint of “Inturist” without any special control. The brothers – Kakhi and Paata Iverieli and Gia Tabidze “on legal grounds” joined the others in the aircraft. The aircraft “Tu-134” a route from Tbilisi airport to Kiev and Leningrad with an intermediate stop in Batumi, took off at 15:43 according to the Moscow time. There were 58 passengers and 7 crewmembers on board. In half an hour after taking off the aircraft, one of the fellows holding a bomb in his hand stood up and announced that the aircraft would change its course. In case of any resistance, the passengers were threatened to be killed.

The hijackers were equipped with the following rifles: 2 revolvers of “TT” model, 2 revolvers of “Nagani” and “Revsteri” and 2 bombs of training model. They were of pro-Western ideology opposing the Soviet regime.

Kakhi Iveriali, Gia Tabidze and Soso Tsereteli rushed in the cabin. K. Iverieli ordered the captain, Gardapkhadze to land the aircraft at the USA military base in Turkey. The co-pilot, Gasoyan offered armed resistance. For this reason, Gia Tabidze was killed, while Kakhi Iverieli and Soso Tsereteli were wounded.

The hijackers set fire in reply. As a result, the following crewmembers died: Tchedia, air mechanic; Kurtikova, air conductor andGuga Sharbatiani, inspector. The passengers – Solomonia andAboiani , died, while seventeen passengers were injured in a clash. One of the hijeckers, Davit Mikaberidze, committed suicide…

Rather than concede to the hijackers’ demands, the pilot circled Tbilisi and later landed. The deployment of the Soviet special unit was called from Moscow, which stormed the aircraft. 11 passengers were wounded and one was killed. The aircraft received 108 bullet holes during the attack

The special operation finished. The following hijackers were arrested: Kakha Iverieli, Paata Iverieli, Germane Kobakhidze and Tinatin Petviashvili. The convicts declared that they wanted to go to America through Turkey where they could have a better life and live in a free society.

According to the Soviet criterion, the convicts were declared a “преступная группа имея намерения изменить родину в форме бегство за границу” and the three hijackers, Kobakhidze and the brothers Iveriali, were sentenced to death, while their female co-conspirator Tinatin Petviashvili received a 14-year jail sentence.

There was one more person in the case. It was Father Theodore (Teimuraz Chikhladze) . On February 2, 1983 he was arrested. In spite of that the priest was not on board, he was also sentenced to death. Ana Varsimashvili was among the punished.

On October 3, 1984, at 17:05 Kakha Iverieli, Paata Iverieli, Germane Kobakhidze and Father Theodore were shot.

They were not pardoned because it would be a shameful spot for the authorities…