More and More Soldiers Are Killed In Georgian Army

Manslaughter without due caution and circumspection –an article from Georgian Criminal Code –law enforcers launch criminal investigations on the murder of soldiers in Georgian Army under this article. Representatives of the Minister of Defense call similar facts incidents; however those incidents have increased in number recently. On July 13 one more soldier died in Upper Abkhazia while accomplish peacekeeping mission. Twenty-one-year-old Levan Natatralashvili, a resident of Dedoflistskaro District, was serving his term in Krtsanisi training center. Ten days ago, the Internal Ministry took him and other members of the unit to the Kodori Gorge.

Family members of the killed young man said that Levan Natatralashvili was wounded by a soldier from the same unit he served in. “Levan joined the army with his brother, Zura a year ago. They took military training in the Krtsanisi training Center. Several days ago, the Internal Ministry demanded them to move to Upper Abkhazia to accomplish peacekeeping mission. As we were told, one of the soldiers Lado Kublashvili, who was Levani’s friend, was firing the gun having returned from the block post. He accidentally wounded Levan who was standing close to him. The bullet injured Natatralashvili’s limbs, internal organs and finally the spine too,” said Giorgi Girsiashvili, a relative of the Natatralashvilis.

The wounded soldier was taken to the hospital in the village of Azhara in Upper Abkhazia where the doctors tried to rescue him but three hours later Levan died in the hospital.

“The wound was dangerous to life. Besides limbs, the bullet injured Levan’s veins and spine. It resulted into the death of Natatralashvili. His body was examined in Zugdidi Dissecting Room and the conclusion will be ready in several days,” said doctors from Azhara Hospital.

Law enforcers detained Lado Kublashvili on the same day. He is charged for manslaughter without due caution. The court sentenced him to two-month-pretrial-imprisonment. The crime shall be punishable from two to four years of restriction of freedom.

Parents and relatives of the dead young man do not appeal against the accused. They blame the Internal and Defense Ministries for the accident.

“Although similar accidents happen in every country, it should not take place in Georgian Army because they boast about its development 24 hours a day. People with less experience should not have free access to weapon. I cannot understand how Levan could have been injured in several places with only one bullet. How doctors could not save Levan, if he lived more than three hours from the accident. Where was the supervisor or the commander of soldiers when Kublashvili was violating the security rules by shooting?” said Giorgi Natatralashvili, father of the dead soldier.

Nobody comments on the accident from the Defense and Internal Ministries. They expressed their condolence to the family of the dead man and reimbursed the expenses of the funeral. Relatives of Natatralashvili said that representatives of the Ministry promised them to carry out investigation on the accident and everybody who was in charge of monitoring and supervising the unit should be severely punished.

Similar promises were given to the family of Giorgi Mumladze, a nineteen-year-old soldier who was killed in Uflistsikhe Military Unit. However, the investigation has not charged anyone, but Giorgi Ozbetelashvili, a soldier who was accused for the murder.

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti