MIA states it’s ready to cooperate with FBI on the case of Tamar Bachaliashvili
By Khatia Bzhalava
Thursday, August 6
Family members of Tamar Bachaliashvili, a 23-year old programmer, who was found dead in her car after a 4-day search, gathered in front of the US embassy on 4th of August, demanding FBI’s involvement in the investigation.
Later, the representatives of the embassy met with the family of Bachaliashvili and explained to them that FBI’s engagement in the case would only be possible on the ground of the state's official request and that the FBI does not have the power to involve in the investigation at the request of a private individual.
Based on the statements and requests of the deceased woman's family, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia expressed readiness to cooperate with the FBI and summoned the family to the authority to discuss the details. On August 5th, Bachaliashvili’s parents and family lawyer arrived at the MIA. As Bachaliashvili’s mother explained, the reason why they arrived at the MIA is to clarify how tight the FBI’s involvement will be.
Bachaliashvili's mother says that the family does not want the FBI to be involved in the case only at the level of consultations, but to be engaged thoroughly. They seek answers to the questions such as - why did Tamar disappear, why could not she be found for 5 days and why was ‘everything’ in the computer deleted. According to Bachaliashvili’s mother, they are waiting for the FBI to unlock the car. Mikheil Ramishvili, family lawyer who is working on the case, stated that the family will protest the examination of the car without the FBI.
Ramishvili was told at MIA that the FBI has already sent a request for cooperation, however, despite the request of Bachaliashvili’s family on bureau’s full involvement, it is still unknown how tightly they will be engaged.
Bachaliashvili’s mother, Teona Tamazashvili stated that there are a lot of shortcomings in the case and believes that the existence of so many unanswered questions is due to the officials who are linked to her daughter’s death.
Bachaliashvili disappeared on July 18th and her body was found on July 22th in her own car, which was parked near the forest in Tetritskharo Municipality. The investigation was commenced under unlawful deprivation of liberty and the article on leading to suicide was added later. The family rules out the suicide version and believes that the young woman was murdered because of the information that she possessed. As the family lawyer stated, many incontrovertible pieces of evidence prove that Bachaliashvili ‘had not been led to suicide, but was definitely murdered.’
