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How did Bullets “Shot in the Air” by Financial Police Turn out in the Smugglers’ Breast

January 26, 2005

How did Bullets “Shot in the Air” by Financial Police Turn out in the Smugglers’ Breast

Officers Wound Three Citizens of Azerbaijan Nationality

Financial Police exceeded its authority while carrying out its official duties in the Gardabani region on January 20, 2005. Three bystanders of Azerbaijan nationality were wounded, one of them critically, in a special operation conducted by officers of the Financial Police, designed to seize contraband goods smuggled in from Azerbaijan.

According to sources in the mass media, officers of the Financial Police conducted a special operation in the village of Vakhtangisi, in the Gardabani region on January 20, 2005. The purpose of the special operation was to seize contraband electrical goods, smuggled in from Azerbaijan. 

These sources reveal that Financial Police officers ran after one of the smugglers near the control tower, and demanded that he stop his mini-bus. When he disobeyed, the police began shooting. The smuggler got out of his mini-bus and sought shelter in the village of Vakhtangisi.

During the incident, local villagers began throwing stones at the Financial Police officers, and the policemen retaliated with gunfire. The villagers defended the smuggler and refused to hand him over to the Financial Police.  Despite a statement by an official representative of the Financial Police that the officers only “shot bullets in the air”, three innocent bystanders of Azerbaijan nationality were wounded, one of them critically.  The official representative of the Financial Police blames customs laws which allowed the transportation of illegal goods across the border in the first place.

The Ambassador of Georgia to Azerbaijan, Mr. Zurab Gumberidze, told the TV Company ATV in a recent interview that the actions carried out by the Financial Police were justified. According to Gumberidze, the Financial Police must use whatever means necessary to stop people from smuggling contraband goods both on the border of the two countries and in the whole country,- informs the mass media of Azerbaijan.
 
The Human Rights Information and documentation Centre however expresses its concern over the incident that occurred in the village of Vakhtangisi in the Gardabani region and condemns the shooting of innocent bystanders by Financial Police officers. The Centre argues that the action taken by the police to calm down the agitated villagers was illegal, and also states that if police continue to use these means to fight smuggling, they will strain the relations between Georgians and Azerbaijani. The Centre believes that responsibility should also be put on the shoulders of the Customs’ Department which continues to be corrupt, and on the shoulders of other specific persons who allowed the contraband goods into the territory of Georgia in the first place.

Prepared by Nino Bestavashvili

 

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