One year since the brutal murder of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili by occupying forces

The occupying forces continue to deny the murder of Tatunashvili, linking his death to heart-related problems. Photo: Prime Minister’s press office. Photo: IPN.

Agenda.ge, 22 Feb 2019 - 12:09, Tbilisi,Georgia

One year has passed since the brutal murder of Georgian citizen, former soldier Archil Tatunashvili by occupying forces in the occupied Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia), whose body was transported to the Tbilisi administered territory only after about a month with his internal organs removed and more than 100 injuries on his body.

Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze visited the Mukhatgverdi Brothers’ Cemetery earlier today to honour Tatunashvili and to thank his parents for “raising up a hero.”

Bakhtadze spoke about the importance of the Otkhozoria-Tatunashvili list, which provides sanctions against individuals who have violated human rights in the Georgian occupied regions since the 1990s, and vowed that the Georgian government will continue to ask its allies join in the sanctions.

This year will be particularly important in this regard. We are taking all measures to inform all international organisations and our allies regarding the list. I am sure we will hold those people accountable who have committed such terrible crimes and will manage to prevent such tragedies,” Bakhtadze said.

Bakhtadze stated that the list currently includes 33 people and the number will increase in the future.

Interpol issued a red notice in September 2018 for the two individuals who were charged with the murder of Tatunashvili.

David Gurtsiev and Alik Tabuev, employees of the so-called law enforcement agencies of  Georgia’s occupied Tskhinvali region, were indicted by the Prosecutor's Office of Georgia in June 2018 and after several days the Georgian court said that they must be remanded into pre-trial detention.

However, Gurtsiev and Tabuev are in Tskhinvali, in territory currently  occupied and controlled by Russia and they have not been detained so far.