many details of the incident are still unclear and a series of questions remain open. shevardnadze has been accused of rejecting the offer by the hijackers' parents to negotiate with their sons the release of the hostages. many claims have been made that he demanded the death penalty for the hijackers to strengthen his positions among the communist leadership and to show his loyalty to moscow. the 108 bullet holes in the aircraft as well as the death of a stewardess remain a source of controversy.