66 Year Old Liana Chanchliahsvili - Who Was Sadistically Beaten and Tortured - Demands Justice

66 Year Old Liana Chanchliahsvili - Who Was Sadistically Beaten and Tortured - Demands Justice

The citizens of Akhmeta have several times in the past accused the Akhmeta Regional Police Department and the Akhmeta Chief of Police - Gela Shashaishvili - of violating their rights. This time, a 66 year old woman from Akmeta, Liana Chanchliashvili, has fallen victim to police inaction. The old woman was sadistically beaten and tortured by masked youths late at night in her own home. She accuses the Chief of Police of supporting and backing those who carried out the vicious attack and asks those organizations responsible for protecting human rights to help her.

Liana Chanchliashvili’s shocking story began when she went to the police and told them about a murder that took place near her house and identified the murderers. As a result she herself became a victim of the criminals. Despite the fact that she identified those responsible and informed the police about them, she still awaits revenge from the murderers and blames the police for supporting the criminals.

The story went as follows: “On October 2004, I gave shelter to Jabrail Musikhanov, his brother Magomed Tazurkaev, Raisa Musikhanova and her small child, who lived in Georgia with refugee status. On December 31st 2004, Jabrail Musikhanov’s friend, Magomed Mazaev, visited him. At about 6 p.m. Musikhanov and Mazaev went outside where Musikhanov started to set off firecrackers to celebrate the New Year. Paata Gaganashvili and Vakhtang Albutashvili warned him not to set off the fireworks but Musikhanov set off another one in the direction of my house. Gaganashvili and Albutashvili became angry. They knew that Jabrail was Chechen and they did everything they could to humiliate and rile him. They started arguing and eventually a fight broke out. Gocha Oniashvili mediated and attempted to separate those fighting. Hearing the noise, Tazurkaev joined in the fight in the hope of assisting his brother Musikhanov. The fight ended with grave consequences: Oniashvili was seriously injured with an axe wound to the head, but it was not Jibrail Musikhanov who assaulted him.  Oniashvili was taken to hospital, where he died on August 1st 2005.  Jabrail Musikhanov was brought to court for a crime that he did not commit. I gave the police a true and accurate testimony of the events. Then the real guilty party found out about my visit to the police and since then I have been assaulted, harassed and robbed several times. During the third break in, at 2 a.m. in my house, six people wearing masks (though I am able to identify the youths of my neighborhood) tied me up and punched me”, says Liana Chanchliashvili. She was only able to obtain a certified expert testimony regarding her injuries after strongly protesting to the police, despite this being her legal right.

The experts testified that Liana Chanchliashvili’s pelvis bones had been broken. She also had had bruises from the beating and other traumatic injuries. The victim could not take the expert’s conclusions to the police department because of a health complication. Furthermore, she was threatened with death if she did not take her application back. “They threatened to kill me if I did not take my application back from the Police Department. They said that no one would be able to tell that my death was not from natural causes if I did not write a new application; stating that I no longer have a complaint. They also told me that the police would not ask me any questions. I had no way out except to do what they asked. However, I managed to complain to both the Telavi District Police and the Telavi Prosecutor’s Office. All my attempts however were in vain because no one paid any attention to me. The fact is that Irakli Kinkladze, Shota Andriashvili and Zaza Oniashvili robbed not only me but many other families”, says desperate Liana Chanchliashvili - who currently experiences health complications and pleads for help. “I am sure when the article with my story appears in the media they will visit me again and might even kill me”, adds Liana.

The activities of the gang of youths in the region have been confirmed by other respondents as well.  “Kinkladze and the others invited Niniashvili’s son to a party where they then argued with him and killed him. The police arrested the owner of the house, despite the fact that he did not commit the murder. The gang broke into Esma Shashiashvili’s house, and during the robbery they tied the owner up and took everything she had in the house. Another group of criminals pondered their crime and later the gang was forced to bring the objects taken from Esma Shashiashvili’s house back.  They also robbed Zamtaridze. In order to cover their tracks, the gang attempted to kill Zamtaridze - fortunately he survived. Another victim of the gang was the Magalashvili family. Vazha Kotorashvili, who was lucky to be alive, was also robbed. The criminals have links with the Kists in the Pankisi Gorge, who are the source of the drug supply, which is later distributed in Kakheti. The police are believed to have some links with the criminals and profit from their illegal acts. Recently, Andriashvili shot a police officer, wounding him in the leg. Everything has its end. We are fed up with chaos”, say the frustrated inhabitants, who named the people who have become the victims of police inaction. 

The victims named above did not agree to be interviewed because they fear that they might create additional problems for themselves. Despite our persistence, Gela Shashiashvili, the Chief of the Akhmeta Police Department, refused to meet us and comment the facts - stating that he is very busy. Temur Anjaparidze, the Chief of the Kakheti Regional Police Department told us to contact Shota Khizanishvili, the Head of the Public Relations Department within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, for comments. Shota Khizanishvili did not reply to any of our telephone calls.

“I do not know how long I will be able to stand the suffering and pain I now feel after my beating. I want to ask you to intervene in this difficult situation and stop the chaos that is flourishing in Akhmeta. I want someone to listen”, Liana Chanchliashvili implored organizations responsible for protecting human rights.

Gela Mtivlishvili from Kakheti