Archil Tatunashvili Allegedly Tortured

Following the return of the body of Archil Tatunashvili on March 20, forensic experts in Tbilisi have said that he was “presumably” tortured.

The examination was held at the National Forensics Bureau on behalf of the center. Irakli Toidze, a forensic expert at the Tbilisi-based Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture, told reporters that “based on the injuries, we can presumably say that he was tortured.”

 “[There were] multiple injuries, scratches and bruises almost all over the body,” he added.

Earlier reports that the man had lost a finger were disproven.

The Georgian man died in unclear circumstances on February 23 after being illegally detained by the "South Ossetian" authorities.

The Center made a statement, stressing that the examination was carried out “in line with international standards, including the Istanbul and the Minnesota Protocols.”

“There are many facts indicating that the Russian-Ossetian examination was aimed at hiding the traces [of torture], and we consider it essential that a complex examination is conducted in line with international standards,” Mariam Jishkariani, Director of the Center added.

By Tom Day