Sukhumi confirms death of Georgian citizen Temur Karbaia in Gali - Georgian Security Service

Death of Georgian citizen in Gali

The Georgian Security Service claims that Sukhumi has confirmed the death of a Georgian citizen, but the occupation regime has not confirmed any details regarding his arrest or death.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili reacted to this and the public defender demanded an investigation.

What happened

A citizen of Georgia, 43-year-old Temur Karbaia, died as a result of violence by local police in Gali, a Georgian neighborhood of Abkhazia, as reported by Georgian media with reference to members of Karbaia’s family.

According to reports, police stopped Karbaia to check his documents, and then detained and severely beat him. Hen was taken to a Sukhumi hospital where he died on the night of December 9 as a result of his injuries.

According to relatives, the body of the deceased had multiple bodily injuries, such as bruises and fractures.

“He has bruises all over. He has broken ribs, other bones, abrasions on his sides… He was beaten yesterday, After that he was in a coma and died last night at the hospital… We don’t know anything else yet. I don’t know if there was an autopsy or not, if an investigation has been launched, we don’t know that either. He was walking down the street and was arrested. That’s all we know. He was beaten by three people,” Karbaia’s sister-in-law, who lives in Zugdidi (western Georgia), told a Radio Liberty correspondent.

Georgia’s state security service says it is investigating the circumstances of the incident and a hotline involving the EU observer mission has also been activated.

“In connection with the incident, a hotline has been activated with the involvement of the EU observer mission. According to the information disseminated, the representatives of the occupation regime confirmed the fact of death of the Georgian citizen, but did not confirm the attempt of his illegal arrest. Proceeding from the fact that the processes developed in the depth of the occupied territory, i.e. in the occupied town of Gali, the process of gathering additional information is underway,” the SGB report reads.

Comment by the President of Georgia

The country’s President Salome Zurabishvili reacted to the fact of Karbai’s death on social network X:

The brutal beating by local militia resulting in the death of another Georgian citizen, Teymur Karbaia, in occupied Abkhazia- is a tragic reminder of the blatant violations of elementary Human rights in the territories occupied by Russia. Sad 75th anniversary!

— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) December 10, 2023

According to Public Defender Levan Iosseliani, on December 10, when the International Day for the Protection of Human Rights is celebrated, information about the alleged violation of the rights of a Georgian citizen by the occupation forces was once again circulated.

Iosseliani puts the responsibility on Russia:

“Temur Karbaia, a citizen of Georgia in the occupied Gali district, was arrested by the so-called occupation regime. The police officers allegedly insulted and beat him, as a result of which the Georgian citizen died immediately after being brought to the hospital. The Russian Federation bears responsibility for the alleged violation of the right to life of a Georgian citizen, as it is it that exercises control over the occupied territory.”

The Public Defender calls on the Georgian authorities, as well as all international human rights and monitoring organizations, to make maximum efforts to ensure an effective investigation, punish the perpetrators, and hold the Russian Federation accountable:

“Unfortunately, the occupation regime still leaves unpunished those responsible for the murder of four Georgian citizens – David Basharuli, Gigi Otkhozoria, Archil Tatunashvili and Irakli Kvaratskhelia. The murder of a Georgian citizen in the occupied territory near the village of Kirbali a month ago has not yet been investigated. Against the above background, the involvement of international organizations and the international community as a whole is particularly important to prevent alleged violations of the right to life, as impunity for such acts puts the lives of Georgian citizens at particular risk.”

Death of Georgian citizen in Gali