Abkhazia ABL murder: Tbilisi demands handover of killer

The Government of Georgia is demanding the handing over of a Russia-controlled border guard , 29-year-old Rashid Kanjioghli, who killed Georgian citizen Giga Otkhozoria last year with six gunshots in territory currently controlled by Georgia. 

Deputy head of the Analytical Department in Georgia’s State Security Service, Kakhaber Kemoklidze, says the issue was raised at all the meetings of the Gali Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM). 

• The IPRM was created in February 2009 following the 2008 Russia-Georgia conflict to address security concerns and ensure the protection of human rights in the occupied regions.

• The meetings are an opportunity to identify and discuss potential risks and follow-up on incidents affecting the communities along the Administrative Boundary Line  (ABL) on a daily basis.

Rashid Kanjioghli is reported to be in occupied Abkhazia now. 

The de-facto authorities of Abkhazia have no political will to detain the man and hand him to us,” Kemoklidze says. 

• 31-year-old Otkhozoria was murdered when he was trying to transport food into the breakaway region for a funeral ceremony of his late aunt on May 19, 2016. 

Locals said the border guards demanded Otkhozoria pay a bribe in exchange for transporting the goods, which caused a dispute. They said Otkhozoria ran away from the border guards but was shot as he retreated.

Kemoklidze also touched upon the detention of Archil and Paata Rogava, father and the son, in April 2017 by occupant forces for "illegal crossing of border” near occupied Abkhazia.  

Kemoklidze announced that the Rogava "so-called trial” was scheduled next week that would decide the fate of the detainees. 

The Security Service official vowed that the Government of Georgia would do their utmost to achieve the release of the men.