What Happened in Lopota Valley and What Is Happening in Pankisi Valley?

Gela Mtivlishvili, Information Center of Kakheti

What happened in Lopota valley; who was supposed to assist ethnic Kists and Chechen refugees to cross Georgian border; what connection the officers of anti-terrorist center have with the recent incidents in Lopota valley; who was negotiating with Kists about the transfer of corps?

How it started

In the morning of August 27 of 2012, TV-companies Rustavi 2 and Imedi reported that 5 young people - Leri Khutsurauli, Levan Garashvili, Besik Mijakhkashvili, Tato Agulishvili and Tamaz Gamierashvili were lost in the Lapankuri forest bordering with Dagestan. Relatives of the missing people supposed that Lezghins had kidnapped them.

Several hours later, Telavi district governor Nugzar Khutsaidze informed ICK that missing people were found and they were safe. ICK asked where and how missing people were rescued and district governor said a press conference was planned that evening and authoritative people would answer all these questions. Rustavi2 and Imedi were unable to talk with the missing people after they were found. Journalists had arrived in Lapankuri in vain and went back. Later that night, based on the information provided by Lapankuri village residents ICK reported that units of the MIA Special Forces had arrived in the valley, and police had blocked the entrance to the village. Several hours later, MIA press center spread information that a group of armed people was detected on the Georgian-Russian border close Dagestan and Special Forces had started chase operation against them. MIA units had completely blocked the Lopota Valley. On August 29 MIA spread information that 2 officers of the Special Unit and one military doctor had died during the operation and five officers were wounded. According to MIA 11 paramilitaries were killed and 6 were sieged.

On August 30, President Mikheil Saakashvili said during his meeting with local resident of Lapankuri village that no one could restitute Lezghin raids in Kakheti. “I think everyone got convinced that nobody will repeat Basaev’s looting of 1990s as well as Lezghin looting in Kakheti region of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Our brothers live on the other side of that mountain but they should come here peacefully as they usually did to trade and to feat with us; we will be pleased to welcome them here,” President said.  Alleged 5 people hostages were brought back to the village several hours before President’s visit in Lapankuri. Before that, parents did not know their whereabouts and health conditions.

On September 1 Georgian media reported that presumably there were Georgian citizens among liquidated paramilitaries; in particular they were ethnic Kists from Pankisi Valley; the MIA did not confirm the information. On the same day MIA spread statement that none of the 11 liquidated persons was Georgian citizen. On the same day Georgian media sources spread information that six graves were dug in the cemetery of Duisi village, Pankisi valley, where locals intended to bury liquidated people. ICK spread photos of the graves in Duisi cemetery. Despite that, MIA stubbornly claimed there were no Georgian citizens among the killed paramilitaries. On September 2, ICK spread photos of the three killed people - Aslan Margoshvili, Bahaudin Aldamov and Bahaudin Bgakashvili. Journalists tried hard to obtain information in the Pankisi Valley; they did not leave the valley even at night. Vahabits living in the gorge and brother of the Duisi village governor created problems for journalists. They demanded us to leave the territory and indicated that it was instruction of the governmental officials; otherwise they would not deliver bodies of the killed people to the village. Despite their demands and threats we didn’t leave the gorge. Late in the evening of September 2 ICK reported that unless bodies were brought to the village that night, locals intended to start protest rallies next morning.

At 3:00 am on September 3 bodies of the killed Aslan Margoshvili and Bahaudin Almadov were given to their relatives in Tbilisi. The bodies were delivered to the village via roundabouts and they were placed at home like Muslim tradition requests. They were directly brought to the cemetery and buried there. Neither relatives attended the funeral. In the morning other four empty graves were filled in with sand.

In the afternoon of September 3, Ministry of Internal Affairs spread information and confessed that 2 of the killed people were Georgian citizens and 5 of them were Russian citizens.  “After the examination of bodies, survey and investigative activities it became possible to establish identities of seven individuals out of eleven liquidated during the operation. Two of the liquidated people are citizens of Georgia: Aslan Margoshvili - Date of birth: 28/06/1992; Bahaudin Kavtarashvili - Date of birth: 07/02/1986. Five dead persons are citizens of the Russian Federation from North Caucasus. One of them, Bahaudin Baghakashvili was born in Grozny on February 10, 1986 and has relatives in Pankisi gorge.

The others of the identified bodies are citizens of the Russian Federation: Dukvakha Doshuev - Date of birth: 19/01/1968, place of birth: Chechnya, Vegeno; Salam Zaurbekov - Date of birth: 14/12/1991, place of birth: Chechnya, Grozny;  Khashiev Jabrail - Date of birth: 24/01/1989, place of birth: Ingushya;  Musa Aduev - Date of birth: 28/03/1981, place of birth: Grozny,” the MIA statement reads.

On September 4, early in the morning sister and brother of Bahaudin Bagakashvili arrived in Georgia from Austria. They buried their brother in Duisi cemetery on the same day.

According to the unverified information, other 4 killed paramilitaries were not buried yet. Reportedly, they were buried in the cemetery of Karajala village but the information was not confirmed.

What happened in Lopota Valley – version

There is one version spread regarding the special operation in Lopota Valley though it does not coincide with the version spread by the MIA. It is verified that members of the armed group, who were killed during the special operation, had not illegally crossed the Georgian border as the MIA claims. Just the opposite, they wanted to cross the border from our side.

According to this version, 18-member group arrived in Lopota Valley from Pankisi to travel to Chechnya via Dagestan. Officers of the Georgian anti-terrorist center had organized their transportation from Pankisi to Lopota valley and they had promised them assistance in crossing the Georgian border without any problems. So-called paramilitaries had to pay solid sums for this service; certain Lezghin, who knew the roads very well, was about to assist them to cross the Georgian-Dagestan border. Accidentally, local young people bumped into the group in the Lopota forest. The group members captured them and promised not to do any harm if they did not spread information about their presence in the forest; they offered the locals to stay with them in the forest until they crossed Georgian border. Group members gave food, shoes and even money to them; the family members of the “captured” people confirmed this information as well. Russian Intelligence Service learned about possible migration of a group of people from Lopota Valley to Dagestan and declared mobilization near the Dagestan border. Afterwards, Georgian government had no way but kill the group members in order not to give ground to the Russian authority to blame Georgia in supporting paramilitaries. Several members of the group managed to run away during the special information. According to the spread information, they still shelter in Lopota Valley; Georgian MIA arrested some of them.

Vahabist Exposes Officers of the Anti-Terrorist Center

ICK does not publish the name of respondent due to his safety.

“This summer, more than 200 Chechens arrived in Pankisi Valley from various countries of Europe. They expected assistance for the travelling to the third country from Georgia. In the middle of August, big part of Chechens returned to European states where they lived with the refugee status; another part stayed in Pankisi. Among them were Dukvakha Doshuev, Salam Zaurbekov, Khashiev Jabrail, Musa Aduev and others. They had spent at least one month in Pankisi. They prayed in the local Mosque and we saw them here. On August 26 they decided to leave the valley and “Dishna” and “Guslika” [nicknames] promised them to assist to leave Georgia.

-Who are they [Dishna and Guslika]?

-Dishna is Zelimkhan Khangoshvili; he lives in Duisi village, Pankisi valley. Guslika is Muslim Israilov, a Chechen refugee; he lives in Tbilisi and according to our information they cooperate with the Anti-Terrorist Center. Dushmana and Zoon had information about the decision of this group. They [Dushmana and Zoon] govern the Pankisi community. They arrived in Georgia together with Gilaev. Dushmana and Baiel are also refugees from Chechnya; they train national armed forces in Georgia; they teach them fighting.

-Who are Dushmana and Zoon?

-Zoon lives in Tbilisi; Dushmana lives here in Pankisi valley. They are warriors. Dushmana’s real name is Ramzana. After the special operation we have not seen Dishna - Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in Pankisi valley; we want to ask him some questions. He participated in the negotiations together with Sandro but he has not appeared here lately.

-Who is Sandro?

-It is Sandro Amiradze, an officer of the Anti-Terrorist Center. When Bokeria stated that an officer of the MIA had yielded to the group, he meant Amiradze. Amiradze also had information about the intentions of this group like Zelo (Zelimkhan Khangoshvili) did. Sandro was negotiating with them about the transfer of corps. They demanded us to expel journalists from the valley in order to keep information in secret. They were not going to give the bodies until we implemented their demands. When situation got tense and we could not stop the parents of the killed boys, they gave us the bodies at night and they immediately buried them. Only Aldamov’s father saw his son’s body for several seconds on the cemetery. I have more information but I cannot say anything else. We, locals agreed in the Mosque not to speak about details.

-According to the spread information there were 18 members in this group and 11 of them survived. Do you know anything about it?

-We know that Akhmeda survived and several other people too.

-Who is Akhmeda?

-Akhmeda is personal representative of Doku Umarov; he is a young man of 30; he does not have one hand. His wife is Kist and they lived in Pankisi Valley; we have not seen him since the special operation.

-Who are the others; are not family members looking for them?

-There are four more local young Kists. The others are refugees from Chechnya. I definitely know that they were not going to do anything wrong in Georgia. I know their family members too; they looked for their sons but the boys informed them somehow that they are safe and work in Turkey.

-Why did they capture young people in Lopota forest?

-When you go fighting and accidentally encounter somebody on your way, who might hinder your operation, you should either kill him or take him to safe place. These people did not kill young boys because they are good people and decided to leave the hostages on safe place. You also wrote what parents and relatives of the former hostages said – they treated the hostages very well. It is bad that initially those boys were promised to help but finally they killed them.

-What can you say about the weapon; how did they have so many guns?

-Did not you see the videos? Where could they get western weapon? There were some guns which the group members did not need at all. I cannot say how those guns appeared there.

-What do you think, do the officers of Anti-Terrorist Center decide similar things alone or they obey the instructions of authority?

-It is impossible that they make similar decisions alone. They use us whenever they need our help, but now the situation has worsened. We no longer trust them except 2-3 local people who cooperate with them. So, now they have decided to get rid of us.

Despite many attempts during two days we could not get in touch or meet with any of the people our respondent had mentioned. We could not call deputy head of the Kakheti regional office of the Constitutional Security Department Davit Lortkipanidze, who is brother of the deputy minister of interior; they are originally from Akhmeta and Pankisi residents often mention their names.

According to the ICK’s information, four out of 18-men are arrested and MIA keeps them in the building of Special Operative Department in Tbilisi. Akhmeda is among them. MIA does not comment on this fact. According to the official information, investigation is underway.

According to the verified information, soldiers and riot police officers control all passages towards Batsara reservation, villages Birkiani, Khadori, Omalo and Khorejo. Yesterday, several pastures were not allowed to enter the Tbatana territory where Kists pasture their cattle. Law enforcement bodies expect that Kists and Chechen refugees, who survived the special operation, will try to return back to Pankisi Valley.