Interior Ministry releases statement on investigation into 2014 disappearance of minor Guram Dadianidze

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia (MIA) has released a statement regarding the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of a minor, Guram Dadianidze, who went missing in Dusheti Municipality in 2014.

Below is the statement in full:

“First and foremost, we would like to clarify the circumstances surrounding the video footage circulating on social media: on August 7 of this year, officers from the Mtskheta-Mtianeti Police Department interviewed the individual who filmed and uploaded the video in question. The interview established that the footage was recorded on June 11, 2014, at approximately 15:00. However, according to statements from Dadianidze’s companions, he actually went missing at 04:00 on the morning of June 11, 2014.

Case materials indicate that on June 10, 2014, a group of 16 neighbours travelled by minibus from the Temka district to the Lomisa Shrine in the village of Mleta, Dusheti Municipality, to mark the Lomisoba festival. Due to the challenging terrain, the minibus could not reach the shrine directly, so they parked the vehicle in Mleta and continued on foot.

The group stayed at the shrine briefly before setting off back down on foot at around 02:00. During the descent, Guram Dadianidze was not alone; he was walking alongside a relative. It was further established that Dadianidze sat down on a stone along the path to rest, an event witnessed both by his relative and two neighbours, a father and son.

The distance from where Dadianidze paused to the parked vehicle was between 300 and 500 metres. While resting, Dadianidze told others to go on ahead, stating he would catch up. Given that the terrain at that point presented no difficulty, the group had almost reached the vehicle, and there appeared to be no potential danger in leaving him briefly, the three individuals accompanying him continued on their way.

Once the group had walked a short distance and Dadianidze failed to appear, one neighbour used a torch to search for him in the dark. However, upon returning to the spot where Dadianidze was last seen, he was no longer there.

Law enforcement officers were alerted immediately, and police personnel joined the search effort shortly thereafter. As Dadianidze was not carrying a mobile phone, his friends were unable to contact him directly, making it impossible to track his subsequent movements or location through electronic data.

Witness testimony further confirms that Dadianidze had no conflicts with anyone either during the journey or at the shrine, and there was no threat of altercation. Furthermore, the specific area where he sat down was heavily frequented by pilgrims at the time.

Every individual who travelled or was present with Dadianidze has been questioned, and all necessary investigative procedures have been carried out. To date, no suspicious circumstances have come to light, nor has any evidence emerged to indicate a motive of past revenge against Dadianidze. No signs of violence were detected at the scene.

We must also emphasise that reports alleging no investigative or search operations took place between 2014 and 2017 are entirely false. In 2014, a missing persons file was officially opened at the Dusheti District Department, and all necessary operational search measures were undertaken to determine his whereabouts.

The investigation into Guram Dadianidze’s disappearance remains active, with interrogation of all relevant individuals ongoing. Over 20 people have been re-interviewed in the past month alone.

We urge all interested parties to refrain from misleading the public and spreading unverified or inaccurate information regarding this case,” stated the Ministry of Internal Affairs.