Regional Police Does not Return Cows to Ossetian Families

In Ergneti village Konstantine Kasradze found three cows in his own garden. The cattle had come from Ossetian village and belonged to Ossetian people. Kasradze applied to Georgian police and the latter took the cows.

“Cows were moving around my garden. There is territory of the Ossetian side after my garden. I took the cows home and asked my son what to do. Part of my neighbors told me to keep them in my family, and another part told me to leave them in the field. But I informed the police about it. They promised me as soon as the owner appears, they would return the cows to them. Now, the Ossetian people from the neighboring village learned about it and asked me to return the cows to them. But our policemen do not return the police to me to give them to Ossetian people. I am living at the border and somebody might attack my family to revenge,” said Konstantine Kasradze.

Head of Police Department Jemal Rusitashvili confirmed that they had taken cows from Kasradze’s family. He said the cows were in one of the farms. According to Rusitashvili, head of Shida Kartli Regional Police Department Vova Jugheli and his deputy Shalva Tramakidze are responsible to make decision on the issue. None of them met us to comment on the fact and asked us to get in touch with the spokesperson of the MIA.

Representative of the press-center of the MIA Zurab Gvenetadze told me to call in half an hour and promised to find out everything. Half an hour later he did not answer our calls. Representative of the local press-service at the regional department did not answer our call either.

Policeman Jemal Rusitashvili told us in private conversation that they would not give the cows to Ossetian people until they return the cows stolen from the village of Nikozi.

Saba Tsitsikashvili, Gori