Why Residents of Lapankuri doubt about Official Version of Operation

Tazo Kupreishvili, Netgazeti

Residents of Lapankuri village have questions regarding official version of hostage rescue operation in Lopota ravine about which they have not received any response yet. They also find it difficult to think about logical connection between what they have seen and official version of operation.

“Boys will talk about everything how and why they were taken as hostages? How they were released? Only they know the truth,” said a resident of Lapankuri village which is located nearly 30 meters away from Georgian-Russian border on August 29. Parents of the released hostages were waiting to hear real information from them how they disappeared and then released.

Five young people from Lapankuri were taken back home by police on August 29 12 hours after hostage rescue operation. Despite that, parents say they don’t know anything about this fact.

Young people themselves avoid contacting media.

“He didn’t say anything how he became hostage or how he was released; I haven’t asked anything yet too”- said Mindia Gagolashvili

Besik Mijakhakashvili- Elizbarashvili’s father says that his son didn’t say anything how he was captured or released than.

“Right know he is with friends and can’t talk, mobile phone isn’t with him” said Besik Mijakhkashvili’s father.

People who personally took part in the search of missing youth on August 26 in the mountains, recalls chronology of events with Netgazeti. 

On August 26, at 11 o’clock 18 years old Tato Gagolashvili, 26 years old Levan Karalashvili, 24 years old Leri Khucurauli, 27 years old Tamaz Amirashvili and 24 year sold Besik Mijakhkashvil-Elizbarashvili went to have a feast towards sour waters 3-4 kilometers away from village Lapankuri, were villagers use to go to feast. Villagers started to search for them when they didn’t return at night. People doubted they may be lost because all of them knew roads, territory and path very well.

On August 26 at night 60-70 people Lapankuri were involved in searching operation. They unsuccessfully searched them till morning of August 28.

Locals found footprints on the road that goes to marble quarry mining mountains that is located 20-25 km away from a village.

“While we were following this trace we found place where they had stopped. We didn’t find Cigarettes’ but there was some other remains,” Tamaz Tandilashvili recalled in his conversation with Netgazeti.

Vasil Elizbarashvili father of one hostage Besik Mijakhkasvili-Elizbarashvili also remembers this fact. According to him villagers saw three armed persons dressed in military form in the sinuous roads of mountain.

“We thought our boys were taken as hostages. What could we do with bare hands? We sent boys down to a border guards and told what we had seen. Border guards went up with a car and ordered us go down. In half an hour they reported to the post that they had found boys. In half hour border guards came back with boys. They took them so that we were unable to talk with them. We don’t know how they rescued them, and if they really were captured, no gunfire shot, we haven’t heard anything, no one was injured,” said Ioseb Elizbarashvili uncle of Besik Mijakhakashvili.

Residents of Lapankuri remember that operation in Lopota ravine started several hours after releasing boys on August 28 at late night, after which tenth of police cars and ambulances went to ravine. Residents noticed helicopters too.

On August 30 after the main part of the operation finished, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili arrived in the village and met people.

“No one will repeat 17th 18th and 19th century Lezghin invasions in Khaketi. It is not time for Lezghin’s and disorders. It is impossible to return this time”- said Saakashvili.

According to president, the operation for rescuing 5 Lapankuri residents, that started on August 28 and still continues was very difficult.

Locals say they don’t remember this kind of incident in the surrounding territories close to Georgian-Russian border. During 2008 August war when Russia was attacking Georgia almost from every side this part of border was calm and no one was moving there except Russian jets that where flying high up in the air.

“During Shevardnadze time they were coming here working on logs and selling the goods. We gave them food and drink. Shooting, kidnapping has never happened. I had never met before armed strangers in the woods. Our boys go hunting to Dagestan and they also come here but we have never encountered such a problem,”- said Temur Aptsiauri resident of Lapankuri to Netgazeti.

“Beyond the mountains there is a pasture at the foot of the border where I was staying at night with my son and working. We even were leaving women alone but no one had come, neither violence nor robbery had ever happened. At the foot of the border in the alpine zone there are still shepherds and border guards.  One or two people can always cross the border. This kind of facts happened but 20-30 people can’t cross it.  On this border nothing has happened during August war not to mention now.”- told Ioseb Mijahkashvili. He cannot recall in recent years capturing people for ransom or with other motive.

“Lezghin invasions ended in 1920 this is what I remember from parents, they were talking about them, I haven’t heard anything” Ioseb Mijahkashvili says.

Residents of Lapankuri don’t know why situation escalated close to their village near the border. But they recall that several strangers that attracted their attention were moving on village roads for the last two months. 

“I saw them 9 times; men with beards were coming every week by brown pickups. Their heads were shaved and they had Georgian numbers, I have seen them from my house. I have noticed them in last 1 or 2 months. Every week they were going up or down. Heads were shaved, some was dark and some light, they were looking at us says resident of Lapankuri with Netgazeti.

Several people confirmed this information in the village. They don’t know who this people were and why they were moving so freely and with such intensity from Napareuli to Lopota direction.

“Brown pickup belongs to the MIA, Ministry of Defense or some private people. However I hear for the first time that shaved and long bearded people were in Georgia. Tell us who was source of your information and we will question him. The fact is that no one similar to those people has been in our region for a long time. If they saw something or have some information they should have told us,” Shota Khizanishvili deputy minister of interior said.

Villager’s says that disappeared boys wouldn’t have gone more than 3-4 km away in a forest from a village. So they are surprised how 20 armed people were able to walk nearly 20-25 km and how they met young people from village.

They also don’t rule out that youths were specially kidnapped by armed forces. Residents of Lapankuri say that if armed forces wanted to kidnap they could do this 4-5km away from a border in a marble quarry were workers were working and they didn’t need to come so deep on Georgia’s territory.

14 people died during operation carried out by military forces of Georgia under the pretext of releasing young Lapankureli’s.

Photo: Bridge in Lapankuri, after which movement is restricted towards mountains.

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