ABOVE: Lekso Lashkarava (Photo Credit: Courtesy of TV Pirveli)
A cameraman for Georgian television channel TV Pirveli has died, allegedly from injuries inflicted as he was covering the violent anti-Pride event earlier this month in the Georgian capital.
The attacks were led by Pro-Putin nationalists and hooligans encouraged by members of the Georgian Orthodox Church, who were also in attendance and proactively engaged in the violent protesting.
An editor for TV Pirveli told multiple media outlets that Lekso Lashkarava was found deceased by his mother on Sunday and that investigators from Ministry of Justice of Georgia were working to determine the cause of death. The Interior Ministry also issued a statement Monday acknowledging that the investigation had been opened into his death.
Radio Free Europe/Liberty reported Monday that Lashkarava, 37, was one of nearly 60 journalists and other media workers who were attacked on July 5 when hundreds of people took to the streets of Tbilisi to block a planned LGBTQ Pride parade. He had suffered extensive facial injuries and had been sent to hospital but was later released.
The United States Embassy in the Georgian capital issued a formal statement on death of Lashkarava on Monday:
The U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi extends our deepest condolences to the family of Lekso Lashkarava, particularly to Lekso’s mother, and to his colleagues at TV Pirveli and all those who are shocked and saddened by his death. Lekso worked behind the camera so despite his years of service as a media professional, many might not have recognized him before he was viciously attacked by people who demonstrated a complete lack of respect for human life. His bravery as he defended his colleague and his commitment to the fundamental freedoms long cherished in this country represent the best qualities and traditions of the people of Georgia.
The arrest of several individuals in connection with the attack on Lekso is a positive first step toward justice. The safety of every Georgian journalist and the credibility of democracy in Georgia require that every individual who attacked peaceful citizens and journalists on July 5 and 6, or who incited violence, must be identified, arrested, and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
We call for calm and an end to the violence that has already caused one tragic loss of life.
