Opposition Demands Release of Names of Fallen Soldiers

The opposition Conservative Party demanded on September 23 that the authorities make public the names of all Georgian soldiers killed in the August war.

“There are doubts that the official number of those killed during the August events is not true… As far as we know, unfortunately, the number is much higher,” Giga Bukia of the Conservatives Party said at a press conference on September 23. “The authorities refuse to reveal the names of those who have died.”

The Georgian government said on September 15 that the officially registered number of Georgian citizens killed during active hostilities was 370 – 188 civilians; 168 Defense Ministry personnel and 14 from the Interior Ministry.

A Georgian Defense Ministry spokesperson told Civil.Ge on September 23 that the names of fallen soldiers might be made public once the identities of those killed were known. There are a few dozen unknown soldiers. Officials said the identities of the unknown soldiers would be known following DNA tests. 

Zviad Dzidziguri, co-leader of the Conservative Party, said that the refusal of the authorities to make public the names only increased the suspicion that officials were providing very conservative figures for those killed.

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