Tea Topuria
photo: 1tv
photo: 1tv
Vasiko Tsiklauri disappeared on September 26. He has been unsuccessfully quested till now. The family hopes the child is still alive and traffickers took him to Azerbaijan.
Vasiko Tsiklauri lived in the village of Arkhiloskalo in Dedoplistskaro district. This village is located five kilometers away from the Azerbaijan border. On September 26, he and his friend Dato Burduli went to the forest. They took a hound with them. Two hours later Burduli returned home alone with the dog. Nobody has seen Tsiklauri since then.
Tea Chokheli, the mother of Vasiko Tsiklauri: “Vasiko was watching TV when Dato called him from the back yard. I got surprised because he had never called him from behind the house before. They went to the forest. My younger son asked them where they were going and they replied they had some business.”
Burduli himself alleges that he and Vasiko were sitting on the hill and talking for two hours. Then he went home to learn school subjects for the next day and Vasiko stayed there.
Dato Burduli: “He said he would go into the forest; the dog could find something. I returned home. Then I saw the hound running alone in the village and took it home. I know nothing else. One more thing - when sitting on the hill I heard three gunshots. I heard the fourth one when I was coming home.”
The family members doubt about Dato’s story; they think he is hiding the truth.
Irakli Tsiklauri, Vasiko Tsiklauri’s brother: “When Vasiko and Dato were going I asked them where they were going and they pointed to the hill. I went there half an hour later but could not find anybody. However, Dato claims they were sitting on the hill for two hours.”
The parents state they have looked for the child everywhere – in the forest, in the surrounding territories, in the water but could not find him dead or alive. The cinologists also looked for him. The tracking-dogs lost the trace near the motor-way. So, the parents doubt 14-year-old Vasiko became a victim of trafficking. They blame the Burdulis in it and think that Dato and his parent allured Vasiko into the car. The parents think the adult is forced to work in Azerbaijan without payment.
Tea Chokheli: “Dato knows everything but hides the truth.”
Dato Burduli lives with his mother alone. He was Vasiko’s best friend. His father died. The family had never been suspected in any crime before.
One more detail should be considered with regard of Vasiko Tsiklauri’s case – Datu Burduli had a gun at home. Tea Chokheli doubts Dato took the gun with him on that day.
Tea Chokheli: “He called Vasiko from the back yard because he was hiding the gun somewhere. The police looked for the gun but the family had hidden it. They said it was not registered and hid it from the police. The expertise examined the gun but could not estimate the date of the last gunshot.”
Dato Burduli alleges that he had not had the gun with him on that day and in general, he never hunts.
There is no evidence to prove that Dato Burduli is guilty in the disappearance of Vasiko Tsiklauri. Nevertheless, the entire village is against him and it could cause serious problems for the adult.’
As for the investigation process, Vasiko Tsiklauri’s parents said that the investigation was launched under Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Georgia that is “bringing to the point of suicide.” There is no separate article for the disappearance in the Criminal Code of Georgia. So, the investigations are launched under related articles in similar situations.
Tamaz Tsiklauri, the father of Vasiko Tsiklauri: “We are confused. Initially, they said guests from Kutaisi saw a boy running in the field. But later we found out that it was other boy. A mentally disabled boy lives in the next village and he often runs in the fields.”
The Tsiklauris do not consider the versions according to which their son might be dead.
According to the current situation, there might be several versions.
1. If Dato Burduli really had a gun with him, any of them might have accidentally fired it. However, it is difficult to believe that 14-year-old child could cut out the grave and buried the dead friend in 2 hours. The Tsiklauris also exclude this possibility.
2. Since Dato Burduli alleges that he had heard gun shots, it is not excluded that somebody was hunting in the forest. Vasiko could have been shot by a blind bullet. If the hunters were by car, they could have easily hidden the corpse. The cinologists also lost the trace near the motorway. Besides that, the hunters could have threatened Dato Burduli not to tell the truth.
3. Vasiko Tsiklauri could have become victim of a car-accident and the driver could have hidden the body. In this case, the specialists should have examined the road better and found trace of skidded wheels or blood stains.
4. Suicide is less possible. In this case, the corpse could have been discovered easily. Besides that, the family members and Dato Burduli allege that Vasiko did not have any problems; he was not in love either.
There is a border five kilometers away from the village. The frontier police officers said in private conversations that they did not know anything about this incident. They had not seen anything and had not heard gunshots either. However, the frontier department refused to make official comments.
The version about trafficking can also be real – it is the version of the family members. But, we should remember that the trafficking is an organized crime and it is not so easy to kidnap a person spontaneously. In addition, traffickers are unlikely to have needed 14-year-old boy as a worker.
The Human Rights Center tried to find out what activities are carried out in the framework of the investigation procedures. However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not provide the Center with the requested information within the terms estimated by the law.
The article was prepared within the project - Investigation of the facts of the Enforced Disappearances in Georgia with Financial Support of the Eurasian Partnership Foundation within the EU funded project - Strengthening the Media’s Role as a Watchdog Institution in Georgia.
The contents of this article report are the sole responsibility of the Human rights Centre and cannot be taken as to reflect the views of the European Union and Eurasian Partnership Foundation.
News
December 13, 2023
Ethnic minorities outside the peace dialogue
November 6, 2023
‘Peace’ agenda of political parties
Popular
Articles
February 13, 2024
Why are Ossetians affected by the conflict unable to regain Georgian citizenship and their property?
