Activists in Tbilisi honored the memory of the heroes of the August war
On the 618th day of continuous protests, demonstrators in Tbilisi held a march dedicated to the 18th anniversary of the August war. Participants of the march carried placards with the names of killed Georgian servicemen.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on August 6, on the 617th day of continuous protests, those gathered near the Parliament of Georgia reminded about the August war of 2008 and criticized the authorities for recurring nationwide blackouts.
Protest participants in Georgia have been demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners since November 28, 2024. Law enforcement conducted harsh dispersals of protests, using tear gas and water cannons, and detained protesters. During the protests, thousands of people faced administrative prosecution. "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report "Main points on the persecution of protest participants in Georgia".
Residents of Tbilisi took part in a memorial event this evening under the slogan "We remember the heroes, we remember the enemy." The march from the Philharmonic to Heroes Square, dedicated to the 18th anniversary of the start of the August war, was announced the day before.
Participants of the march carried placards with the names of killed Georgian servicemen. At Heroes Square, participants held a prayer in memory of those who gave their lives for the freedom and independence of Georgia, reports the news agency "News Georgia".
In total, the placards of the march participants mentioned the names of more than 30 people. At the memorial, participants of the memorial event lit candles.
Among those whose names were carried on the placards by the march participants were Junior Sergeant Zurab Apadze, Corporal Anzor Tsilosani, Corporal Sergey Gorozia, Corporal Georgy Gvindzhilia, Corporal Kakhaber Khubuluri, Captain Alexander Tandashvili, Lieutenant Zurab Begiashvili, Corporal Georgy Tsikarishvili, and Major Gela Chedia. There was also a placard stating "Antsukhilidze is immortal."
Georgy Antsukhilidze is one of the most famous participants of the "Five-Day War"; he was posthumously awarded the title of National Hero of Georgia. For almost five months, Antsukhilidze was considered missing, and only on December 12, 2008, was his body identified through DNA. In January 2009, two videos of the beating and torture of a Georgian soldier circulated on the internet; Antsukhilidze's family recognized him. In one of the frames, Antsukhilidze is seen kneeling with his hands tied, his face covered in blood, barely holding up his head. Several men in military uniforms, with weapons pointed at the captive, stomp on his neck and push his face into the ground, the report by human rights defenders "August Ruins" states.
Demonstrators carried placards: "We remember the heroes, we remember the enemy", "Glory to the heroes", "We will never forget", "Long live freedom", "We do not forget: April 9, 1989, Russian shovels, 2008, Russian tanks", "Down with the bloody Russian Empire", "Rozzia, you are unwelcome in Georgia" and "We have nothing to apologize for, glory to the heroes", according to photographs by Georgy Mosiashvili (Mo Se) on Facebook*.
At the Parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue, a traditional gathering of supporters of Georgia's Euro-integration also took place this evening; it has been ongoing for 618 days. Demonstrators again demanded the return of the country to the Euro-Atlantic course, the release of political prisoners, the repeal of repressive laws, and free elections, reports Publika.
In Batumi, where pro-European actions are also held daily, demonstrators gathered at the government house of Adjara. They organized a joint viewing of a film dedicated to the events of August 2008, notes Tbilisi_life.
"Caucasian Knot" also reported that the European Court of Human Rights unanimously recognized Russia responsible for the murder of three and the torture of eight Georgian prisoners of war captured during the August war of 2008. The court ordered Moscow to pay compensation to the surviving servicemen and the families of the deceased. The decision was made with significant delay, as Moscow had already refused to recognize and comply with the court's decisions, users of social networks pointed out.
Georgia considers Abkhazia and South Ossetia to be territories occupied by Russia after Russia intervened in the armed conflict between Georgia and South Ossetia on August 8, 2008, and then recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The Parliament of Georgia voted to sever diplomatic relations with Russia, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report on the "Five-Day War" of 2008, which also contains details of this armed conflict.