In Abkhazia, police and civilians nearly killed each other due to a mix-up
Shooting in Abkhazia
A multi-episode tragicomic scandal erupted in Abkhazia, involving fights and gunfire between criminal investigation officers, the Narcotics Control Department (UKON), and residents of the Gulripshi district.
The climax came when Interior Minister Robert Kuit effectively allowed a ‘lynching’ of a police officer who had done wrong. In the end, everyone involved survived, but some ended up in the hospital, and others lost their jobs.
It all started in the Gulripshi district when criminal investigation officers beat three civilians during an arrest, one of whom suffered a traumatic brain injury and had to be hospitalized.
Later, it turned out they hadn’t even arrested the people they were supposed to – they were acting on a tip from drug users and ended up taking completely innocent individuals.
Angry relatives of the victims decided to get revenge: that same day, they captured several UKON officers and beat them so badly that those officers also had to be hospitalized.
But again, it turned out they attacked the wrong people.
Now other UKON officers sought revenge for their colleagues and went to the hospital, where they ended up firing shots at the enraged relatives of the initially injured civilians.
Eventually, the relatives realized that the first beating hadn’t been done by UKON at all, but by the criminal investigation officers. They went to Interior Minister Robert Kuit seeking justice. He effectively allowed them to “take” the guilty officer, Michba, and deal with him “the Abkhaz way.”
At this point, Michba’s own relatives intervened, promising the victims’ family that they would punish him themselves – and they did. Michba ended up in the hospital with various injuries. Meanwhile, Robert Kuit suspended him from his position.
The minister also suspended the UKON officers who had opened fire in the hospital. Social media reports say that UKON head Astamur Pachalija disagrees with the minister’s decision and has stated that if Kuit doesn’t reverse it, the entire UKON staff is ready to resign.
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