re li an ▁Aff air ▁( 1 9 5 2 ), ▁a ▁consp i racy ▁aim ed ▁against ▁Lav r enti ▁Ber ia ' s ▁prot ég és ▁in ▁Georgia . ▁For ▁years ▁histor ians ▁err one ously ▁thought ▁that ▁Cand ide ▁Ch ark v iani ▁was ▁M ing re li an ▁and ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁pun ished ▁because ▁of ▁his ▁links ▁with ▁Ber ia . ▁However , ▁the ▁newly ▁opened ▁arch ives ▁in ▁Georgia ▁provide ▁evidence ▁that ▁Ch ark v iani , ▁who ▁was ▁Le ch kh um ian ▁( from ▁the ▁Le ch kh umi ▁region ▁of ▁Georgia ) ▁and ▁not ▁M ing re li an ▁or ▁S van , ▁was ▁accused ▁because ▁he ▁alleg edly ▁failed ▁to ▁" det ect ▁and ▁repr ess ▁the ▁criminal ▁national ist ▁ring ▁of ▁counter ▁revolution aries ▁within ▁the ▁ranks ▁of ▁the ▁Georg ian ▁Commun ist ▁Party ". ▁Moreover , ▁it ▁has ▁emer ged ▁that ▁Ch ark v iani ' s ▁relations ▁with ▁Ber ia ▁had ▁never ▁been ▁smooth ▁and ▁that ▁Ber ia ▁toler ated ▁Ch ark v iani ▁only ▁because ▁the ▁latter ▁was ▁supported ▁by ▁St alin . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁M ing re li an ▁Aff air , ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁Ch ark v iani ▁was ▁dem oted ▁to ▁a ▁minor ▁position ▁at ▁the ▁Central ▁Committee ▁in ▁Moscow . ▁Im medi ately ▁following ▁St alin ' s ▁death , ▁all ▁Ber ia ' s ▁clients ▁who ▁suffered ▁during ▁the ▁M ing re li an ▁Aff air ▁were