The News in Brief
Wednesday, October 4
Georgian from Pankisi Gorge Dies in Syria
An 18-year-old, Muslim Kushtanashvili, from the Dumasturi village in the Pankisi Gorge in north-eastern Georgia has died in Syria, community radio station WAY reported on October 2.
The radio station, which is based in the village of Duisi of the Pankisi Gorge, did not specify whether Kushtanashvili died fighting for the Islamic State group, which had previously recruited dozens of locals.
Muslim Kushtanashvili left Georgia two years ago and travelled to Syria through Turkey at the age of 16, triggering questions as to how an underage person could manage to cross the border via an airport independently without having written consent from his parents.
The news comes a few weeks after the radio station reported the death of 31-year-old Levan Tokhosashvili, citing his relatives in Pankisi Gorge. The outlet, however, wrote few days later that Levan Tokhosashvili was alive and that he had reached out to his family.
At least 26 natives of Pankisi gorge have died fighting in Syria since 2012.
According to the State Security Service, as of March 2016, there were “up to 50 Georgian citizens” fighting for extremist groups in Syria and Iraq. (Civil.ge)
Charity movement functioning in breakaway Abkhazia addresses UN and UNESCO over ancient Christian churches
“A charity movement, ‘Abkhazia’s Goodwill Ambassadors’, has addressed the UN and UNESCO concerning regional ancient Christian churches,” Sputnik Abkhazia reports.
The movement has released a video address to UN Goodwill Ambassadors and UNESCO heads.
“We hope UNESCO and other competent international structures will pay attention to the problem of preserving Abkhazia’s unique churches by means of our support,” the address says.
As the charity movement representatives say in the address, Abkhazia represents a ‘cradle of Christianity in the Caucasus and its temples are in a critical condition as a result of Georgia’s destructive policy’.
“In 1992-1993, during the Georgia-Abkhazia war, Georgia’s state army acted like barbarians, destroying Abkhazian cultural monuments, relics and artifacts, and bombing Christian churches,” de-facto Deputy Foreign Minister Kan Tania has remarked. (IPN)
Two new Deputy General Auditors appointed
As General Auditor of Georgia Irakli Mekvabishvili has told reporters, two new Deputy General Auditors have been appointed.
As he declared, Ekaterine Ghadzadze and Davit Gogichaishvili have been recently appointed.
Nodar Javakhishvili has retained his post in the same role.
All the other deputy general auditors were earlier dismissed. (ipn)
An 18-year-old, Muslim Kushtanashvili, from the Dumasturi village in the Pankisi Gorge in north-eastern Georgia has died in Syria, community radio station WAY reported on October 2.
The radio station, which is based in the village of Duisi of the Pankisi Gorge, did not specify whether Kushtanashvili died fighting for the Islamic State group, which had previously recruited dozens of locals.
Muslim Kushtanashvili left Georgia two years ago and travelled to Syria through Turkey at the age of 16, triggering questions as to how an underage person could manage to cross the border via an airport independently without having written consent from his parents.
The news comes a few weeks after the radio station reported the death of 31-year-old Levan Tokhosashvili, citing his relatives in Pankisi Gorge. The outlet, however, wrote few days later that Levan Tokhosashvili was alive and that he had reached out to his family.
At least 26 natives of Pankisi gorge have died fighting in Syria since 2012.
According to the State Security Service, as of March 2016, there were “up to 50 Georgian citizens” fighting for extremist groups in Syria and Iraq. (Civil.ge)
Charity movement functioning in breakaway Abkhazia addresses UN and UNESCO over ancient Christian churches
“A charity movement, ‘Abkhazia’s Goodwill Ambassadors’, has addressed the UN and UNESCO concerning regional ancient Christian churches,” Sputnik Abkhazia reports.
The movement has released a video address to UN Goodwill Ambassadors and UNESCO heads.
“We hope UNESCO and other competent international structures will pay attention to the problem of preserving Abkhazia’s unique churches by means of our support,” the address says.
As the charity movement representatives say in the address, Abkhazia represents a ‘cradle of Christianity in the Caucasus and its temples are in a critical condition as a result of Georgia’s destructive policy’.
“In 1992-1993, during the Georgia-Abkhazia war, Georgia’s state army acted like barbarians, destroying Abkhazian cultural monuments, relics and artifacts, and bombing Christian churches,” de-facto Deputy Foreign Minister Kan Tania has remarked. (IPN)
Two new Deputy General Auditors appointed
As General Auditor of Georgia Irakli Mekvabishvili has told reporters, two new Deputy General Auditors have been appointed.
As he declared, Ekaterine Ghadzadze and Davit Gogichaishvili have been recently appointed.
Nodar Javakhishvili has retained his post in the same role.
All the other deputy general auditors were earlier dismissed. (ipn)