Sokhumi Denies Forcible Conscription of Georgians

Defense Minister of breakaway Abkhazia Sultan Sosnaliev denied that ethnic Georgians in the breakaways region’s Gali district are forcibly conscripted into the Abkhaz army, the news agency Apsnypress reported on November 7.

According to the Georgian side, Daniel Tsurtsumia, a resident of the Gagida village, was ?forcibly conscripted? by the Abkhaz army after a raid of a 60-strong group of Abkhaz militiamen on the village on November 2. According to these reports he was beaten after refusing to take an oath and consequently died on November 4.
 
According to the Interior Minister of breakaway Abkhazia Otar Khetsia, Tsurtsumia was a criminal suspect ?terrorizing the local population? in the Gali district, who died of injuries sustained after an exchange of fire with the Abkhaz police.

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