Killed terrorism suspect’s family demands money back from Security Service
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Tuesday, February 19
Killed terrorism Suspect Temirlan Machalikashvili’s family is demanding their 22, 575 GEL back from the Georgian State Security Service who seized the amount during the December 2017 counter-terrorism raid in the Georgian Muslim-populated Pankisi Gorge.
During the raid, Temirlan Machalikashvili was severely wounded in the head and died of the injury in two weeks.
The family, which is sure that Machalikashvili was mistakenly killed, claims that the money belonged to Machalikashvili’s sister, who had worked in Germany.
The family is going to sue the State Security Service if the agency continues to refuse the return of the money.
The State Security Service says that Malkhaz Machalikashvili, father of the killed 19-year-old, could not specify various circumstances related to the money and gave vague answers due to which additional investigative actions are needed.
"The investigative actions are ongoing in the case. A decision on the return of the money will be made after the above mentioned actions are completed.
“The lawyer’s statement that the family presented documents certifying the origin of money is not true. They have not submitted any documents regarding it. In addition, they have not requested the return of the money in a written form”, the State Security Service told the media.
Temirlan Machalikashvili died on January 10, 2018, several hours before his transfer to Turkey for treatment.
The Pankisi raid came after the large-scale anti-terrorist operation in Tbilisi on November 21-22, which saw Islamic State terrorist Achmed Chatayev and his two accomplices killed and one detained.
Georgia’s State Security Service claims Chatayev and his group planned attacks on diplomats in Turkey and Georgia.
The December raid in Pankisi aimed at detaining the people who supported Chatayev to come to Georgia, buy weapons and find an accommodation, security officials stated.
During the Pankisi raid,, Machalikashvili was wounded and four others were detained for alleged support for terrorism, envisaging 17-20 years in prison or life imprisonment.
The Machalikashvili family is sure Temirlan was killed mistakenly and addressed the European Court of Human Rights.
