Police Say Narcotics Overdose Possibly Behind Journalist’s Death

The Interior Ministry of Georgia said a chemical expertise found morphine, codeine, tetrahydrocannabinol, gabapentin and monoacetylmorphine in the corpse of Aleksandre Lashkarava, TV Pirveli journalist who died yesterday after he was beaten up by far-right homophobic crowd on July 5.

Interior Ministry official Mamuka Chelidze, the Director of the Central Criminal Police Department, stated at the briefing that according to the the interim, chemical expertise narcotics overdose could have been the immediate cause behind the journalist’s death.

Chelidze added that further forensic medical examination is scheduled, in which an independent family-appointed expert is set to take place.

The Interior Ministry also showed CCTV video footages, purporting to show that Lashkarava bought psychotropic drugs in a pharmacy and narcotics at a drug dealer in southern Tbilisi.

Alexandre Gejadze, TV Pirveli-appointed expert said yesterday Lashkarava was receiving morphine to treat severe pain following surgery he had to undergo after sustaining concussion, facial bone fracture and multiple contusions in a July 5 violent attack.

Lashkarava’s mother, who expressed distrust towards the forensics yesterday, also said her son was was treated morphine and that the expertise would find its traces in the corpse. She said the experts could find details about Lashkarava’s painkiller narcotics in his medical history.

More to follow

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