On June 28, 2005, 56-year-old Sadradin Falangov disappeared in the village of Sadakhlo, Marneuli district. He had previously visited Mecca, the Muslim holy city in Saudi Arabia, which earned him the nickname “Gara Mola.” Even a year later, his fate remained unknown. On June 28, 2006, residents of Sadakhlo organized a protest demanding a timely investigation.

According to Gara Mola’s relatives, law enforcement officers failed to locate his body, and the investigation was repeatedly delayed. After gathering at the local cultural center, Falangov’s family members moved their protest to the yard of the Sadakhlo police station. His son stated that police had promised the perpetrators would be punished, but no progress followed.

Residents of Sadakhlo held several demonstrations over the years, demanding a proper investigation into Sadradin Falangov’s disappearance.

Years later, in 2011, filmmaker Giorgi Janelidze released a documentary titled The Disappeared, which revealed that three months before Gara Mola’s disappearance—in March 2005—a protest had taken place in Sadakhlo. Sadradin Falangov was one of its organizers. The demonstrators protested against the local authorities, including the municipal administration and the police, accusing them of corruption and abuse of power.

Following that protest, a conflict reportedly emerged between Falangov and the local authorities. According to residents, his disappearance was directly linked to that protest. They claimed the confrontation stemmed from the same corrupt networks allegedly tied to the so-called “Marneuli mafia,” of which some local law enforcement officers were believed to be members.

Locals rejected any suggestion that Sadradin Falangov had been involved in criminal activity, describing him as an honest and active community member. His son recalled that during President Saakashvili’s visit to Marneuli, Falangov had been detained by the police and released only after the president’s departure.

According to the family, Falangov was murdered, though his body has never been found. The documentary indicates that the investigation into his case was eventually suspended because neither the perpetrators nor the victim could be located.