Illegally detained Georgian citizen recalls “targeted shooting” by occupation forces after release

Levan Dotiashvili, a Georgian citizen who was illegally detained by the Russian-controlled occupation forces on Monday, while another local with him, Tamaz Ginturi, a veteran of the Russia-Georgia 2008 war, was killed, on Friday recalled developments at the Kirbnali church, in central Georgia, after his release later on Thursday. 

In his press comments, Dotiashvili said initially a Russian so-called border guard appeared at the church, whose door was illegally blocked by occupiers last month, firing a warning shot and then speaking with them. 

Dotiashvili claimed shortly after the Russian-controlled occupation forces fired shots to the car and Ginturi, a 58-year-old man who opened the church door in his village, in central Georgia’s Gori municipality.  “I myself saw the bullets, in the back, in the spine. He said one thing – I am wounded. 

Then I got out of the car, took him out, but the Russians came and took me to the forest”, Dotiashvili said. 

Tbilisi urged  the international community to give a “due response” to the incident and exert pressure on Russia  to withdraw its troops from Georgian territory.