Interior Ministry doubles down on drug overdose story as alleged reason for TV Pirveli cameraman’s death
Lekso Lashkarava, who was one of the 53 media representatives attacked by the right-wing groups during the Tbilisi Pride counter rally on July 5, was found dead yesterday. Photo: Shot from TV Pirveli video
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The Georgian Interior Ministry has provided more details to support its claim that TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, who was beaten severely at the July 5 Tbilisi pride counter rally, died due to a drug overdose.
Head of the Central Criminal Police Mamuka Tchelidze said although the forensic examination is still underway to reveal the exact reason for Lashkarava’s death, the samples taken from the corpse contained several different drugs, including morphine and codeine.
Tchelidze also said that Lashkarava, accompanied by a friend, bought drugs in Ponichala - one of the well-known districts of drug dealing in the outskirts of Tbilisi – the day before his death.
He added as well that after Lashkarava consumed the drugs late at night he felt unwell and this can be proved by the video footages obtained from the nearby surveillance cameras.
Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri has meanwhile met with diplomatic corps earlier today:
Vakhtang Gomelauri held a meeting with the representatives of the Diplomatic Corps accredited in #Georgia & discussed the events that developed in #Tbilisi on July 1, 3, 5 in detail with the Ambassadorshttps://t.co/bfPPQAaAdl pic.twitter.com/fwAH1Vp9b4
— MIA of Georgia (@MIAofGeorgia) July 12, 2021
Following the briefing, journalists, civil activists and politicians, who had gathered in front of the parliament building in downtown Tbilisi demanding Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s resignation, have marched to the headquarters of the ruling Georgian Dream party in protest.
The investigation into Lashkarava’s death has started under the Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Georgia – ‘incitement to suicide’. The forensic examination to define the exact reason of his death is also underway.
Meanwhile, five right-wing activists have been detained for assaulting Lekso Lashkarava in the office of the Shame Movement in Tbilisi on July 5 during the counter-rally against the Tbilisi Pride march.
Journalists, civil activists and politicians have again gathered in front of the parliament building in downtown Tbilisi demanding Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s resignation, following the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, who was one of the 53 media representatives attacked by the right-wing groups during the Tbilisi Pride counter rally.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili and Ombudswoman Nino Lomjaria have met today following the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava to discuss the violent developments in Tbilisi on July 5-6.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili responded to yesterday's rally of journalists, civil activists and politicians who gathered in front of the parliament building to pay tribute to TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava and demand Garibashvili’s resignation. Garibashvili said that 'they tried to use this tragedy to achieve their own political goals'.
The Georgian Interior Ministry has named drug overdose as a possible reason for the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava earlier today.
The protest at the headquarters of the ruling Georgian Dream party which moved from downtown Tbilisi demanding Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s resignation has ended for today. 12 protesters were detained after they threw eggs and painted the walls of the headquarter with the red paint.
Journalists and cameramen took the podium today during a briefing of Deputy Health Minister Tamar Gabunia, and held a minute of silence in protest of the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava. Deputy Health Minister Gabunia was going to introduce the latest decisions of today's Interagency Council Meeting before the incident took place.
Several detainees arrested at last night’s rally in front of the ruling Georgian Dream party headquarters have been released. Civil activists, journalists and opposition politicians were protesting the Interior Ministry’s claim that TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, beaten by crowds of Tbilisi Pride counter-rally protesters on July 5, may have passed away on June 11 due to a drug overdose.
TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, who was beaten severely at the July 5 Tbilisi pride counter rally and later passed away on July 11, will be buried today at Jikia cemetery in Tbilisi. Today a procession was held in honour of the memory of Lashkarava. During the procession, Lashkarava's body was led through a 'camera corridor' made by cameramen of various media outlets.
Journalists crashed the opening of a Batumi sakrebulo (city council) session earlier today, protesting the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, who was found dead on July 11 after he was violently attacked by right-wing groups on July 5 during the Tbilisi Pride march counter-rally. The journalists demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and the punishment of all guilty parties. Media representatives also held up photos of the deceased Lekso Lashkarava in front of the Sakrebulo deputies.
Former US ambassadors to Georgia William Courtney and Kenneth Ialovich have responded to the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava and noted that the accusation of a drug overdose as the possible reason behind his death is a tactic used by autocratic governments. Lashkarava was violently attacked by right-wing counter protesters of the Tbilisi Pride march on July 5 and found dead at home later on July 11.
Journalists, civil activists and politicians have again gathered in front of the parliament building in downtown Tbilisi demanding Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s resignation, following the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava.
Reporters from Georgian outlets are holding a protest near Mtatsminda Park in Tbilisi with demands of repercussions for violent individuals who attacked media professionals in the capital on July 5.
Georgian cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, who was beaten up by Tbilisi Pride counter demonstrators on July 5 and died on July 11, tops the August ranking of the One Free Press Coalition’s ‘10 Most Urgent’ list of journalists who were attacked while performing professional duties.