Categories
Journalistic Survey
Articles
Reportage
Analitic
Photo Reportage
Exclusive
Interview
Foreign Media about Georgia
Editorial
Position
Reader's opinion
Blog
Themes
Children's Rights
Women's Rights
Justice
Refugees/IDPs
Minorities
Media
Army
Health
Corruption
Elections
Education
Penitentiary
Religion
Others

Witnesses Allege Sergeant Booted and Then Threatened Soldier

October 18, 2012
Natia Danelishvili, Information Center of Kakheti

Soldiers were interrogated as witnesses in the case of 19-year-old Koba Makharashvili at Gori District Court. Soldiers alleged that sergeant Tengiz Gelashvili, whom prosecutor’s office blames in the torture of soldiers, had booted Koba Makharashvili for having secretly called from cell phone and then threatened him with compelling him to walk dressed only in pants in front of the unit that evening ; ten minutes later Makharashvili died.

Giorgi Boyko, soldier: I entered working room of Sergeant Tengiz Gelashvili in the evening. Koba Makharashvili was standing on his knees in the room. Gelashvili told me to call Kochkhiani to his room. I called Memanishvili and went back to the room. Kochkhiani came 5 minutes later. Tengiz Gelashvili was shouting at Koba Makharashvili and asking why he had hidden the cell phone. Koba bowed head and did not reply anything. Then Gelashvili asked Memanishvili whether the cell phone was his. He refused. Gelashvili beat Makharashvili in the neck several times and then kicked him into the abdomen. Afterwards, Memanishvili said the phone was his and Gelashvili started beating him too. They both were standing on their knees. We all standing there told the sergeant that Memanishvili was not guilty. Then Gelashvili broke the cell phone into pieces; we collected parts and I took them out of the room. I threw them into the toilet. When I returned to the room, Sergeant Gelashvili was telling Makharashvili he was going to make him walk in front of the unit in his pants and cry foal words. We went downstairs; ten minutes later I heard gunshot and ran back upstairs; I entered Koba’s room on the third floor; it was dark inside; I switched on light and saw Koba lying with his face down in the blood. Then military police arrived and emergency brigade took Koba away.”

Aleksi Memanishvili, soldier: “We were at the place at 6:00 pm. We cleaned the territory and had ten minutes to have a smoke. I went to the next building to have a smoke and met Koba there. We talked for a short time. We were told sergeant was calling us. Koba went and Kochkhiani asked me – was Makharashvili holding your cell phone? and I refused. Then Gelashvili called us and we went upstairs. Entering the room I saw Makharashvili was standing on his knees. Gelashvili was insulting and physically assaulting him. Gelashvili asked me whether it was my cell phone but I refused. Then Gelashvili turned to Makharashvili and continued his beating. Makharashvili was my friend; I was sorry for him and said it was my phone. Gelashvili turned to me and started beating me too. Everybody who was in the room – soldier Giorgi Boyko and some other people, were telling Gelashvili that I was not guilty at all. The sergeant stopped beating me and continued beating of Makharashvili. Then he took the phone and broke it into pieces. Giorgi Boyko put them in the bag and went to throw them away. It was time for unit arrangement and we all had to go downstairs. Sergeant Gelashvili told Makharashvili to go and take armored vest and appear at the arrangement in 10 minutes. Before leaving Gelashvili threatened Makharashvili he would make him walking in front of the unit in pants and calling names of male genitals. He warned us, who were in his room, not to speak about the incident with others. We went downstairs. Makharashvili went to his room and ten minutes later we heard gunshot but we were not allowed to go upstairs. Then we were told that Koba Makharashvili had killed himself.”

According to the Shida Kartli Information Center, soldiers Giorgi Zardiashvili, Kakha Asabashvili, Nika Tsankashvili, Zaza Nozadze, Roin Makhatadze, Karlo Ebelashvili and Archil Mgeladze had made similar testimonies at the trial.

Grandmother of the dead soldier Eliko Arutinashvili told ICK that she had really talked with her grandson one hour before his death. “I talked with him at 7:00 pm; we were called and told about his death at 8:00 pm. He had trace of fingernails on his chick; the gun was forcibly put into his mouth – his lips were black. His head was cut and sewed; his heart was also cut and then sewed. We showed his body to our relative expert and he said he was killed. What happened in an hour which made the boy to kill himself? He told me he was fine and would return home in three months; then he talked with his brother and asked to transfer 5 lari on his cell phone account,” the dead soldier’s grandmother said.

Aunt of the accused sergeant Nana Ganjelishvili also attended the trial who alleged that different person had killed Makharashvili and her nephew was blamed in it. The relatives of the accused sergeant are going to repeatedly expertise the dead soldier. “Gelashvili will serve his punishment term if he is guilty of something. It was not suicide; Makharashvili did not kill himself. He was killed but Gelashvili was blamed in it. This case is fabricated; 12 people were detained for the crime but everybody was dismissed except Gelashvili because others had protectors. We will repeatedly expertise the dead soldier and will request to investigate everything; we will find the truth,” the aunt of the detainee told Shida Kartli Information Center. 

Shida Kartli prosecutor’s office blames Tengiz Gelashvili, 26, in bringing Koba Makharashvili to the point of suicide (article 115) and in torture - the crime punished under Article 1441 – a, b, d of the Criminal Code of Georgia.

Accused Tengiz Gelashvili has not been questioned yet. At September 5 trial the accused said he had just twice slapped Makharashvili in the face.

Koba Makharashvili was serving military service in the 51st battalion of the fifth infantry brigade; he died on July 12, 2012. He had broken his occiput by gunshot. Soldier was resident of Gurjaani village in Gurjaani district.

Next trial on Koba Makharashvili’s case is scheduled in one week.

News