Police detain foreign citizen over Daur Buava’s death, cite abandonment of person in need

Officers of the Vake-Saburtalo Main Division of the Tbilisi Police Department on Saturday arrested a foreign national on charges of abandoning a person in need as part of an investigation into the death of Abkhaz blogger Daur Buava.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, investigators established that the suspect and Buava were friends.

The two were together at Buava’s temporary residence in Tbilisi’s Didi Dighomi district, where they allegedly consumed a narcotic substance before both became unwell.

According to the suspect’s testimony, she left Buava alone in the apartment despite his critically serious, life-threatening condition. She allegedly locked the door from the outside using a second key and left the scene without notifying anyone or seeking medical assistance.

The investigation is being conducted under Article 115 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which concerns incitement to suicide, and Article 128, which relates to abandoning a person in need.

The Ministry said comprehensive investigative measures remain ongoing.

Abkhaz blogger Daur Buava was found dead in his apartment in Tbilisi late on Thursday night.