Leri Barnabishvili, Head of LEPL Levan Samkharauli National Forensic Bureau, delivered an opening speech at the international conference organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
The topic of the conference was “Strengthening Efforts to Identify Missing Persons and the Needs of Their Families". Along with Georgian experts, forensic pathologists from USA, Europe and the Middle East, who have experience working with remains of people gone missing, participate In the conference.
The main goal of the conference is to provide platform for sharing current experience, strategies and practical knowledge, also to develop recommendations for forensic activities in the national as well as international level.
Within the framework of the agreement between the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRS) and the Bureau, in order to identify persons gone missing during the war of Abkhazia and armed conflict of Tskhinvali, 3733 DNA samples have been taken from family members of persons gone missing. Out of this, 3311 samples have been genotyped for further identification of missing persons.
Along with the Department of Forensic Biology, experts from the Department of Forensic Medical Examination are involved in the identification process of soldiers who have gone missing. Experts participate in the process of exhumation as well as laboratory analysis.
Since 2014, with joint efforts of Levan Samkharauli National Forensic Bureau, The Office of the State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the remains of 178 soldiers fallen in the conflicts in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali have been identified and handed over to their families.