Russian deputy FM identifies whereabouts of Tatunashvili’s internal organs

The whereabouts of the internal organs missing from the tortured and killed Georgian soldier Archil Tatunashvili have been identified. 

The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin told the Georgian Public Broadcaster today that Tatunahsvili’s internal organs are in Vladikavkaz, the capital of North Ossetia. 

Karasin says that Tatunashvili’s autopsy was conducted in Vladikavkaz and not in Moscow and that the Vladikavkaz laboratory carried out the investigation to establish the reason of the death of the Georgian soldier.

You should understand that Russia cannot settle the problem as the issue should be solved by the governments of Georgia and South Ossetia,” Karasin told the Georgian Public Broadcaster after the Geneva Internal Discussions held today.

As Tatunashvili was handed over to his family only after about a month from his death with his internal organs cut, the autopsy conducted in Tbilisi failed to reveal an exact reason behind his death, and only stated that the man had been severely tortured.

The de-facto Tskhinvali leadership denies that there was any torture and says that Tatunashvili died of heart failure and liver issues.

Karasin also spoke about Russia-Georgia relations and said that his country "completely fulfilled” the ceasefire agreement signed with Georgia in the wake of the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.

As for the presence of Russian armed forces on the territory of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, we are present on the territory of the countries and not Georgia, and the presence came after a mutual agreement with the governments of South Ossetia and Abkhazia,” Karasin said.

Only Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria have recognised the Georgian occupied regions as independent republics since 2008.

The rest of the international community says that the regions are historic parts of Georgia and are now occupied by Russia.

The international community calls upon Russia to fulfill the 2008 ceasefire agreement and withdraw its forces from the territory of Georgia.