On July 28, 1994, thousands of people from South Ossetia gathered in front of the Georgian parliament, demanding a meeting with Head of State Eduard Shevardnadze. Protesters said they were forced to rally after three men from the village of Kurta—Roin Kochiashvili, Gia Megrelishvili, and Andro Basishvili—were arrested by Tbilisi traffic police on June 19, accused of car theft. The next day, the car’s owner, Gocha Khetaguri, appeared at the police department and confirmed that no theft had taken place.

Police promised to release the detainees, but according to locals cited by the newspaper Droni, instead of being freed, the men were accused of involvement in drug trafficking. That night, Roin Kochiashvili was reportedly tortured and beaten so brutally that he died in custody. Gocha Khetaguri was also severely beaten and hospitalized, while Gia Megrelishvili, who witnessed the torture, attempted suicide and was later taken to the hospital with injuries.

In Tbilisi, the demonstrators were met by Vaja Khachapuridze, the state’s plenipotentiary representative for the Shida Kartli zone, along with the prosecutor general and his deputy, who promised to help establish the truth. The head of the traffic police department, Gia Chechelashvili, pledged to ensure the arrest of those responsible. Following these assurances, the protest dispersed.