Memorial column for Georgian national hero Giorgi Antsukhelidze opened in Tusheti region

The Georgian Defence Ministry on Sunday opened a memorial column honouring Georgia’s national hero Giorgi Antsukhelidze at the Abano Pass in the country's northeast Tusheti region.

The event was attended by Irakli Chichinadze, the Deputy Commander of the Defence Forces, Chief Sergeant of the Defence Forces Giorgi Gogochuri, family members of the national hero, and representatives of the Defence Forces, the Georgian Defence Ministry said.

Attendees commemorated Antsukhelidze's heroism and paid tribute to his memory.

Earlier today, Georgian Defence Minister Irakli Chikovani paid tribute to the memory of Antsukhelidze, a Georgian soldier, who was captured and tortured to death during the Russian-Georgian war of 2008, on his 40th birthday.

Antsukhelidze was captured by Russian forces and separatist Tskhinvali troops on August 9 during the Russian-Georgian war in 2008.

In January 2009 two video recordings emerged on the Internet showing soldiers in the South Ossetian uniforms torturing a captured Georgian soldier whom the relatives identified as Antsukhelidze.

The video footage shows the militants, speaking in Ossetian and Georgian, interrogating the prisoner, forcing him to kneel and ordering him to kiss the ground.