Examination Report Confirms Tatunashvili Was Tortured

The forensic examination report released on June 5 reads that deceased Georgian citizen and former soldier, Archil Tatunashvili, detained in late February by de facto South Ossetian forces, was likely tortured as he had more than 100 various injuries inflicted on his body before death. However, the report does not mention what caused his death.

Tamar Avaliani, the representatives of Non-Governmental Organization Human Rights and Monitoring Center (EMC) and lawyer of Tatunashvili’s family, says that the report does not mention some important injuries, including a gunshot to his head.

“The nose was sewn back onto the body, which was not mentioned in the report, also, the left temple of the forehead was deformed, which was not mentioned either,” the lawyer says.

She added that the family is expecting the final report of the complex examination by August, which in September will be submitted to he Strasbourg Human Rights Court, along with the lawsuit against the Russian Federation regarding the case.

Tatunashvili’s father says he has questions for the forensic examination bureau, claiming the report is faulty.

“Several injuries which I saw and many other people too, are not mentioned in the document. I will go there and ask for answers,” Giorgi Tatunashvili, father of the murdered 35-year-old soldier stated.

Tatunashvili says he is sure his son was brutally tortured and then killed by a shot to the head.

“I saw the photos of the examination. He had severe injuries and bruises all over his body. His limbs and fingers were also broken,” he added.

Archil Tatunashvili and two other Georgian men were detained by occupant forces on February 22 and taken to a breakaway Tskhinvali detention facility. The next day, the de facto law enforcers released information about Tatunashvili’s death. The puppet regime stated he died of heart failure but later said he resisted the guards and fell down the stairs and was taken to hospital, where he died.

De facto authorities of South Ossetia handed the body to the Georgian side only on March 20. After the autopsy, Tatunashvili was buried with military honor at Mukhatgverdi Brothers Cemetery near Tbilisi.

By Thea Morrison