Alexi Petriashvili, ex-state minister and one of the leaders of the opposition Free Democrats party, who suffered three gunshot wounds in an attack on February 26, “will completely recover,” say doctors.

Petriashvili, who doctors say underwent successful surgery on February 26, has two gunshot wounds in his lower limbs.

The third bullet remains stuck “close to kidney” and at this stage doctors did not deem it appropriate to remove it, said Avtandil Imedadze, head of the Republican Hospital in Tbilisi, where Petriashvili remains for further treatment.

“There is no threat to his life. We are also frequently asked if [the injuries] will cause disability – no such thing will happen, he will completely recover,” Imedadze said.

Petriashvili was beaten and then shot at by unknown men while visiting a grave of his late friend and diplomat, Levan Mikeladze, at the Saburtalo cemetery in Tbilisi early on Friday afternoon, according to the Interior Ministry.

There is still no official word from police on the identities or motives of the attackers.

“I do not want to reveal in advance any information. We have directed maximum of our resources towards investigating this case immediately after it happened. I hope that this case will not remain unsolved,” Interior Minister, Giorgi Mgebrishvili, told Rustavi 2 TV late on February 26 after visiting Petriashvili in the hospital.

MP Nino Goguadze of the Free Democrats party told journalists after visiting Petriashvili in the hospital on February 27, that the attack was carried out by two, “well-trained” unknown men – one of them wore a mask and another’s face was also covered up. “Alexi is not aware of their identities,” she said.

Goguadze said that it’s obvious the attack was “ordered” by someone else and it is now up to the investigation to find out by whom.

According to the Interior Ministry, Petriashvili was at the cemetery with three other persons when he was attacked. Police did not report their identities, but Rustavi 2 TV has identified one of them as Kakha Sakandelidze, who told the TV channel in brief comments via phone that there were two attackers with one of them wearing mask.

The Interior Ministry said that the investigation is ongoing under the article 117 of the criminal code, involving intentional infliction of grave injury.