Former Chief of General Staff grilled on troop withdrawal from Kodori Gorge, lack of civilian warning at 2008 war inquiry

Georgian Parliament’s Temporary Investigative Commission examining alleged crimes committed by the former United National Movement Government between 2003 and 2012 on Thursday reviewed the situation in Georgia's Russian-occupied territories between 2004 and 2008 and the 2008 August war with Russia.

During a session, Sozar Subari, a member of People's Power party, questioned Zaza Gogava, the former Chief of the General Staff, about the withdrawal of military and Ministry of Internal Affairs units from the Kodori Gorge.

When asked who issued the order for the withdrawal, Gogava responded: “I issued it”.

Further questioning from Subari concerned the lack of warning provided to the population of the Kodori Gorge prior to the withdrawal. Gogava stated that he was unable to provide a warning.

“I couldn’t do it, and that’s why it didn’t happen. Sometimes there are situations where one person has to do everything, and I simply couldn’t manage it”, Gogava said.

The testimonies and findings of the Commission are expected to shed further light on the decisions and circumstances that led to the conflict and its consequences.