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Treachery or Drugs: Soldier’s Widow Explain Special Unit Tortured and Killed Husband

August 29, 2008

Eter Turadze, Newspaper “Batumelebi”

Roin (Roman) Shavadze, sergeant of the 23rd battalion, was arrested on August 16 in Batumi by masked men from a special unit on the second day of his arrival from having participated in military operation in Tskhinvali, South Ossetia.  Witnesses claim that during the special operation it was claimed that they were arresting a traitor. Later, that evening, however, family members found Shavadze dead body in morgue. According to the official information the sergeant was arrested for the illegal storage and sale of drugs. It is claimed that he was killed when he tried to escape. Nonetheless, regardless of the ledger of guilt or innocence, his relatives claim Shavadze was brutally tortured and then murdered.

Tsitsino Shavadze, widow of the sergeant, stated that her husband was brutally tortured. “There were a lot of bullet holes on his body; almost every finger was broken and we fixed them with plaster. His limbs were also broken; and his flesh was ripped out in several places. He survived coming close to death in Tskhinvali but at home he was killed by such brutal torture methods.”

Sergeant Roin Shavadze who is from Batumi participated in the operations in Tskhinvali, as a member of the 23rd battalion and before serving in the regular Georgian army he had been a member of special unit under the commandof Aslan Abashadze, former strongman and leader of Adjara Autonomous Republic, who was ousted in 2003.

The family reported that Shavadze had also participated in Georgian peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The special unit arrested Shavadze in Zviad Gamsakhurdia Street in Batumi, close to Golden Stock on August 16. Eyewitnesses state, though they prefer to remain anonymous, 20 armed masked people attacked Shavadze in the street, pushed him down on the ground and beat him severely. ”They were beating him so ruthlessly that even those who were passing by were totally shocked.  Some people tried to help him but special unit members shouted he was a traitor and scores of soldiers died as a result of his treason.”

Tsitsino Shavadze recalls how hopelessly she was looking for her husband on August 16. “A person came to our house several minutes after Roini was arrested and said my husband had been arrested for treason. I called several relatives and went to the police station all together. There we were told that Roini had not been arrested by police. Then we applied to military police in Khelvachauri where he was serving as a solider but there was no information about my husband. We inquired about him at the patrol police state, Special Operative Department and Constitutional Security Department but it was useless, as nobody knew anything about him.”

Relatives of Shavadze then applied to Adjara office of the Georgian Public Defender. Lado Mgaloblishvili, a representative of the Public Defender’s Batumi office, stated that law enforcers denied the fact of Shavadze’s detention. “Later, in the evening, Adjara Main Department of the Internal Ministry reported us that sergeant was arrested by Tbilisi Special Unit and they had taken him to Tbilisi for interrogation.”

As the widow recalls soon after they returned home, officers from police department arrived at their house and informed that Roini was in Tbilisi Central Hospital. We immediately went to Tbilisi but her husband was already in the morgue.

Tsitsino Shavadze explained that previous night officers from the Constitutional Security Department took her husband for some time from home, interrogated him and then he returned home. “Somebody called him at 3:00 AM and asked him to go in the yard to talk with. My husband opened the window and cried out to them “Why are you standing there, come up”. But then he went down in sleepers. I looked out of the window and heard he said to those people. “Are not you ashamed for coming like that to me; it is no problem I can go everywhere with you.”

Tsitsino Shavadze states that CSD officers were armed with silencer weapons. Two hours later he returned home. “He was furious stating he was blamed for such treachery. He could never imagine being accused of such a vile crime.”

The widow stated that soldiers who fought with him could not come to the funeral. “So many rumors were spread about his treason that many his friends would not even come to pay their last respects in honoring him. They just called and told us that Roini had saved their lives but apologized for not coming.”

Family members feel insulted by the version of law enforcers. “They claim that Roini was arrested for being a drug addict. However, that is an impossible claim as he was training all hjis e life. And even before going off to war he had submitted to a blood test.”

The relatives applied to Sozar Subari, Georgian Public Defender. However, in spite of all efforts, “none of the lawyers could protect our interests. With the medication of Subari Geno Kartsivadze, lawyer from the Young Lawyers Association, will protect us but he seems also be a bit scared of the situation. Ten days have already passed but we are not yet considered as victims.”

Geno Kartsivadze, a lawyer stated that the criminal investigation has been launched under the charge of premeditated murder. Giorgi Ratiashvili, the head of the investigation unit of the Adjara Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the case. “At this moment it is the only information I can report to you. I will be allowed to study the case materials as soon as the family members are declared as victims.”

Shavadze’s body has since been examined at the morgue. Expert Mamuka Metreveli claims he has no right to speak about examination results. “The conclusion is not yet ready. We are waiting for laboratory test results. We will deliver the conclusion to the investigation and then the victims will receive the information as well, and it is from them you can be provided the information.”

Investigator Giorgi Ratiashvili is not commenting on the case. “I cannot tell you. Call the spokesperson of the Prosecutor General’s Office and they will answer your questions.”

We have not been able to get in contact with the spokesperson because of technical problems, as nobody is answering the phone numbers that are listed on the official website.

“He was killed because tried to escape law enforcers. Now we have to investigate how necessary it was to shoot a fleeing fugitive,” and this claim is based on the general information provided from the prosecutor’s office. Death Certificate on Roin Shavadze lists the place of death Kobuleti, a town in Adjara.

 

 

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