An independent forensic examination will also be conducted on the body of deceased Abkhaz blogger Daur Buava. Buava’s lawyer, Natia Mezvrishvili, told InterPressNews.

An examination of the deceased blogger’s body is currently being conducted at the Levan Samkharauli National Forensics Bureau, after which the body will be taken to a friend’s home in Tbilisi.

According to the lawyer, she is actively working together with the investigation to establish the truth and all the circumstances surrounding the case.

“Until the forensic medical examination is conducted, we cannot speak about the cause of death, and no one can say what caused the death. Of course, we will investigate all the circumstances. Both we and the investigation are working on all possible versions in order to establish the truth. As for the suspicious circumstances, as you know, the investigation is currently working on the case. We are also actively cooperating with the investigation, and we will disclose detailed information later,” Mezvrishvili said.

Asked who the detained woman is and whether she had communicated with Daur Buava’s family members, Mezvrishvili said that, at this stage, she is only in contact with the investigation.

“We are in communication with the investigation, and according to the information we have received from them, the detainee is his friend. However, this is the investigation’s version, and other details are currently unknown to us,” Mezvrishvili said.

Asked how credible she considers the Interior Ministry’s information that the deceased and the detainee used drugs, after which his friend left him in distress while he was unwell, the lawyer responded:

“This is solely the investigation’s version. Of course, we will investigate every detail, and we intend to conduct an independent forensic examination as well,” the lawyer said.

Asked whether she would demand that the investigation, which was launched under the charge of leaving a person in distress, pursue a different line of inquiry, or whether she suspected that the incident could have been a murder, the lawyer responded:

“That is for the investigation to establish. Once the investigation and our own inquiry establish what happened, we will actively work with the investigation regarding the legal qualification of the case,” Mezvrishvili said.

Asked whether reports that Buava had been receiving threats before his death were true, the lawyer answered in the affirmative.

“As far as we know, there were threats related to his activities, both verbal and physical. Accordingly, it cannot be ruled out that his death may be connected to his activities. Daur Buava was a blogger; he actively made videos about Georgia and relations with Abkhaz people. Of course, this was not welcomed by Abkhaz people,” the lawyer said.

For the record, Abkhaz blogger Daur Buava was found dead in his apartment in Tbilisi on August 28. He had apparently been dead for several days, as neighbors called an emergency response team after noticing a “strong smell of rotten meat” coming from the building. Rescuers found Buava dead when they entered the apartment.

On August 29, law enforcement officers detained a foreign national, a woman who was a friend of Daur Buava, on charges of leaving a person in distress. According to the Interior Ministry, the two had used narcotics, after which both became unwell. According to the investigation, the detained woman abandoned Buava while he was in a critically serious and life-threatening condition, locked the door of the apartment from the outside, and left the scene.

The investigation is being conducted under Article 115 - incitement to suicide - and Article 128 - leaving a person in distress - of the Criminal Code.