Military Ombudsman of Georgia Irakli Sesiashvili announced his resignation on December 21, following the protest of 60 servicemen from the Georgian Internal Troops, who were demanding better social conditions in the army.
“While human rights are violated so roughly in the country and innocent people are punished, including soldiers, I find no sense in staying at this position, especially when the Ombudsman’s Office itself sides with the authorities and claims that social conditions in the military units are perfect,” Irakli Sesiashvili told Civil Georgia on December 21.
He also said that the situation is really terrible in some military units, while the government claims that the conditions have improved over the past one year.
About 60 unarmed servicemen of the Internal Troops deserted their military unit in Mukhrovani, outside Tbilisi, and gathered in front of the Georgian Ombudsman’s office in Tbilisi on December 20 protesting against, as they put it, “terrible conditions” in the army.
Incoming Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili said on December 20 that the servicemen who participated in the protest will be punished. Currently, these soldiers are deployed in one of the military units in Tbilisi and refuse to return to the Mukhrovani base.
Commander of the Internal Troops Givi Tatukhashvili met the servicemen on December 21. He said after the meeting that the protest was “a provocation,” adding that there were “some other reasons” other than social problems behind the protest. However, he did not specify these reasons, saying that an investigation will find this out.