34 Soldiers Dismissed from Forth Brigade Apply to the Public Defender for Help

34 dismissed soldiers from 42nd Battalion of Forth Brigade within the Ministry of Defense have collectively applied to Sozar Subari, the Public Defender of Georgia with the request to protect their rights.

Sopo Khorguani, Deputy Public Defender told news agency Medianews that the soldiers from 42nd Battalion of the Brigade #4 lodged an appeal in the Public Defender’s Office on September 4.  They indicate in their petition that they had been participating in military activities from August 8, 2008. When the Russian aviation started bombing Shida Kartli the soldiers were dispersed and returned to their military base on August 12. The military police told returnees that they were discharged from the army and that an investigation had been launched and they could be charged with desertion.  The military IDs and other certificates were confiscated from the soldiers.

Sopo Khorguani stated that the soldiers were not provided with any official reason or documents as would have justified their dismissal from the armed services.

The Public Defender sent an official letter to the Ministry of Defense in the matter on September 5. The Public Defender requested official documents of the dismissal of all of the soldiers from Battalion 42 functioning within the Forth Brigade. The Public Defender also demanded that a valid reason be given for their dismissal.

Sopo Khorguani also stated that the Public Defender requested Batu Kutelia, Deputy Defense Minister to send the information on how many people were dismissed from the armed forces and what was the motivation for their dismissal, how many criminal and disciplinary cases are being launched in this regard. The Ministry of Defense has two weeks to provide this public information in response

So far there has been only one appeal lodged in the Public Defender’s Office concerning the dismissal of the decommissioned soldiers.

Source: Medianews