According to the lawyer, among those arrested in the case of deceased acolyte Temur Khaduri were the deputy head of the Terjola Police Division, another was the deputy head of the Tkibuli Police Division, and the third was an investigator

“The police officers concealed the pursuit operation. After that operation, no one ever saw Temur Khaduri alive again. Of those arrested, one was the deputy head of the Terjola Police Division, another was the deputy head of the Tkibuli Police Division, and the third was an investigator,” Ledi Tukvadze, lawyer for the family of deceased acolyte Temur Khaduri, told InterpressNews.

According to the lawyer, the police officers have been detained under Part 2 of Article 370 of the Criminal Code, which concerns giving false testimony and obstructing justice for personal motives.

“The detainees have not yet been formally charged.

The police officers concealed the pursuit operation, and after that operation, no one saw Temur Khaduri alive again.

As for those detained, one was the deputy head of the Terjola Police Division, another was the deputy head of the Tkibuli Police Division, and the third was an investigator.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Prosecutor General’s Office, particularly the Western Georgia Prosecutor’s Office, and to investigator Giorgi Khachidze, who maintained daily communication with the victim and his legal representative - me - for two years. We had to work together on a daily basis because this was an extremely difficult case, both to solve and to establish the facts, especially since considerable time had passed before it came under the jurisdiction of the investigative authorities.

After Khaduri’s body was found, these police officers gave statements claiming they had had no involvement whatsoever with Temur Khaduri. Later, when the case was transferred to the Special Investigation Service, very important evidence was obtained, confirming that a pursuit operation had taken place and that the police officers had given false testimony.

As for the evidence, the investigation was conducted to a very high professional standard. We had been waiting for the results of the Samkharauli forensic examinations, which required time because a large number of audio and video recordings had been seized. The examination results were received approximately 10 days ago,” Ledi Tukvadze said.

For reference, 23-year-old acolyte Temur Khaduri went missing on August 25, 2024, after throwing stones at a police vehicle and being pursued by law enforcement officers. Following a three-day search, his body was found in a river near the village of Simoneti, in Terjola Municipality, by a shepherd on August 28.

Several weeks ago, a Special Investigative Council was established following a protest by his mother.