Ex-Georgian Minister Regrets Lack Of US Answer To Reports On Biological Tests At Lugar Lab

Former Georgian Minister of State Security Igor Giorgadze on Wednesday expressed regret over the lack of a clear reaction from the United States and international organizations on his reports about the biological testing at the US-funded Richard Lugar laboratory in Georgia.

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th December, 2018) Former Georgian Minister of State Security Igor Giorgadze on Wednesday expressed regret over the lack of a clear reaction from the United States and international organizations on his reports about the biological testing at the US-funded Richard Lugar laboratory in Georgia.

In September, Giorgadze said the Richard Lugar Center for Public Health and Research in Georgia might have carried out lethal experiments on Hepatitis C patients. Giorgadze said he had evidence that 30 individuals had died in December 2015, and 43 more in April and August of 2016, all after being given treatment at the laboratory. The causes of the deaths have not been confirmed. According to Giorgadze, US nationals, including people working for the Department of Defense, work at the laboratory.

"Following my appeal to US President [Donald] Trump and the request to initiate an investigation into the legality of the work carried out by the staff of the Lugar laboratory in Georgia, which operates with the permission of the administration of Trump's predecessor ... I received ridiculous accusations of falsifying facts, lies and propaganda instead of clear answers. This was the first expected disappointment," Giorgadze told reporters in Moscow.

Moreover, the former minister said that none of the 108 international organizations he reached out to provided a response, despite relevant appeals.

"The biggest and most expected disappointment was the silence of international organizations, human rights organizations, to which we sent our appeal. We have sent appeals to 108 organizations starting with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons [OPCW], the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, the International Committee of the Red Cross ... and right up to Amnesty International. No one has responded," Giorgadze added.

In October, Maj. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the commander of the Russian Armed Forces' Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defense Troops, said the United States was using labs in Georgia, including those at the Lugar Center, to test toxic substances on local residents in attempts to research ways to deliver and unleash biological weapons in violation of international accords.

Georgia and the United States have denied Russia's claims in comments to Sputnik. Georgia's government envoy for ties with Russia Zurab Abashidze has called the allegations absurd.