Threat of Blood Feud in Pankisi

Threat of Blood Feud in Pankisi

The family and relatives of Avto and Vakho Gumashvili - both killed during a special operation in the village of Duisi in the Pankisi gorge - have for the past year been demanding that guilty police officers be punished and they be compensated for the burning of their home. So far their demands have been in vain. The Kists, who are frustrated by both the indifference and the injustice of the authorities, intend to deal with the present situation in the old traditional way - by way of a Blood Feud.

Officers from the Kakheti District Police Department within the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Special Forces killed Avto Gumashvili and his 23 year old guest, Vakho Gumashvili, during a special operation on June 3rd 2005. The two were killed, according to the police, when they resisted arrest and opened fire on the armed forces. During the operation, Gumashvili’s house was burned to the ground. The severity of the operation caused anger amongst the population, who expressed support for the family, and protested against the attack by throwing stones at the armed forces. However, law enforcers did not pay any attention to the population’s protests and in order to frighten the people away they shot in every direction. Consequently, an officer with the Special Forces and three civilians were injured. The police detained some young people during the special operation for opposing them and amongst them was one disabled person. Because of the special operation, when bullets were flying everywhere, children from the area became traumatized. Suleiman Gumashvili, the head of the Council of Gorge Elders, protested against the operation by leaving his position.

“The special operation started at 4 a.m. At first Gumashvili’s house was surrounded by police officers. Gumashvili refused to give up unless he could take revenge against Margoshvili, who raped his wife. Avto’s mother and other women pleaded to the police not to kill him because he was not criminal. However, the Chief of the Kakheti Police Department, Temur Japaridze, threatened to arrest members of our families. Although, Avto closed the door to the house, his friends talked to him through a window. His friend told us that Avto was not going to give up and that he did not intend to harm any police officers. Soon the police started shooting, in response Avto shot in the air. No one was injured by the bullet shot by him. However, police officers wounded some villagers. At about 8 a.m. the Special Forces joined the police. The police officers numbered more than 200. They abused us both verbally and physically, which made people angry. The police threw something in the direction of the house which set it on fire. Everything was covered in smoke. Vakho Gumavshili tried to escape the burning house through a window, without any gun, in order give himself up. The police shot him and immediately took his body away.  Meanwhile, Avto burned to death in the house. The police gathered Avto’s remains and left”, said Jemal Khangoshvili to the Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre.

Jibrail Khangoshvili was one of those who talked to Avto Gumashvili during the special operation. He says that the story that ended so tragically started 10 years ago. Otar Margoshivili raped the wife of Avto Gumashvili and the act was witnessed by his children. Then, the couple separated and Gumashvili’s wife, together with the children, moved to Russia. Gumashvili searched for a long time for Margoshvili to exert his revenge. In accordance with an old tradition, which is still followed in the Gorge, the family of Margoshvili had to leave their house and hide. Gumashvili found out that Margoshvili was renting a flat in Televa and paid him a visit. “Avto told his friends that he had gone there to kill him but that he could not do it when he saw his children. He only shot him in the leg”, says Jibrail Khangoshvili.

Witnesses say that during the special operation, police officers spread information that Avto Gumashvili was keeping hostages in the house, among them a small girl. “The police made up the story to justify somehow their presence and the horrible acts of the armed forces during the special operation”, state neighbors. However, they cannot understand who Gumashvili’s killing would benefit or why he was killed.

According to information from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, a criminal case against Avto Gumashvili had been started for wounding Otar Margoshvili. Since that time, Avto had been searched for by the police.

The Duisi Administration states that Avto remained in his house since the original shooting but no one from the police came there to look for him. 

After the special operation, the situation became tense in the Pankisi Gorge. Although the officers with the Special Forces were on duty, a blood feud between the families was inevitable according to the old traditions of the Kists, say locals.

Avto Gumashvili’s brother, in his interview with the Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre, did not hide that he plans to take revenge. “I do not have a brother or a cousin any more. I am homeless, my mother has been very sick since the special operation. My brother did nothing wrong except shoot Margoshvili in the leg. Should he be burned to death because of that? Temur Anjaparidze promised to give us 7000 laris as compensation for the burned house. Later, he said that the promises were given in order to calm the family down. I am Kist and I do remember everything. We have different traditions. We have been looking for justice for a year but no one paid any attention to us. The Ombudsman sent a letter saying that he could do nothing for us as it exceeded his powers. The police threatened to kill me if I kept on, however, I told you, we are Kists and we will take our revenge if we are not listened too”, states Malkhaz Gumashvili, who is supported by his friends.

Gela Mtivlishvili from Kakheti