Prosecutor’s Office closes investigation into Temirlan Machalikashvili’s case

On January 25, the General Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia closed an investigation into alleged abuse of power using violence by a riot police officer, who shot Temirlan Machalikashvili during the special operaiton carried out in Pankisi Gorge on December 26 of 2017, it was announced at a special briefing at Tbilisi Prosecutor Office on Tuesday.

According to the Prosecutor’s Office, 124 persons were interviewed as witnesses, dozens of investigation and procedural activities were conducted, more than a dozen different types of forensic investigations were carried out within the frameworks of the investigation into Temirlan Machalikashvili’s case.

“Temirlan Machalikashvili, family members, neighbors and all 32 employees of the Special Operations Department of the State Security Service were questioned. Investigators as well as all officials of the State Security Service, who have any information about the planning and carrying out December 26, 2017 special operation. The investigation has established that Temirlan Machalikashvili did not obey the order of a riot police officer to show him his hands and attempted to activate the grenade. Due to this fact, the riot police officer was forced to shoot him,” the Prosecutor’s Office said.

According to them, the hand-grenade was seized during the search of Machalikashvili’s room and his father attended the process, who signed the search protocol and did not have any objection to the hand-grenade.

“According to the findings of the January 30, 2018 biological (genetic, serological) examination of the hand-grenade, the reddish-brown spots on it is human blood and the major (major) part of it mixed genetic profiles is identical to Temirlan Machalikashvili's genetic profile,” the Prosecutor’s Office said.

Thus, a thorough and comprehensive investigation confirmed that the riot police officer acted in self defence and for protecting others, since the danger was real, imminent. It was also confirmed that neither any member of the special task force unit nor any senior official committed any unlawful or indictable conduct, thus the investigation was closed due to the lack of criminal activities,” the Prosecutor’s Office said.

The Tbilisi Prosecutor’s Office was investigating the case under subparagraph b, paragraph III, Article 333 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, involving exceeding the official powers using violence against Temirlan Machalikashvili.

Georgian security forces carried out the operation on December 26, 2017 during which 19-year-old Temirlan Machalikashvili was shot and eventually died due to his wounds.

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