Russian occupation: OSCE envoys face barbed wire fences in Georgia
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Permanent representatives of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) have faced a harsh reality when they visited a village along the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) and the rest of Georgia today.
American, Canadian, Lithuanian, Romanian and Swedish envoys to the OSCE travelled to Khurvaleti village to see how the Russian-erected barbed wire fence had divided the village into two isolated parts.
This man, David (Data) Vanishvili, has been trapped in the Russian-controlled part of the village for several years. Read more about his hard life here.
Khurvaleti village now bordered Tskhinvali region, one of Georgia’s two breakaway regions, which was the epicenter of the short but deadly Russia-Georgia war in August 2008.
After the war, Russian border guards set a new ABL between Georgia and its breakaway region, erected 50km of barbed wire fencing along this arbitrary line through Georgian villages and announced it was the new "state border”.
Often, farmers and peasants who crossed the arbitrary line were accused of "violating the state border”. The so-called offenders were arrested and taken to Tskhinvali prison. Moscow called this "border security” while Tbilisi and the rest of the world call it "creeping occupation” of Georgian land.
At the site today the OSCE officials witnessed the tense situation before they travelled to Tserovani, a settlement of people who were internally displaced following the 2008 war.
The envoys said this type of visit was the best way for them to learn about the real situation in the country.
Tserovani, with an IDP population of 6,433 representing 1,954 displaced families, is the largest of the 38 settlements built by the Georgian Government to house families who were displaced by the August 2008 war. Photo by Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
The OSCE permanent representatives are in Georgia for the first time since July 2008.
The OSCE mission was established in Georgia in 1992 and they supported the local Government to cope with conflicts, address human rights and rule of law. However after the 2008 war, Russia rejected extending the Mission's mandate.
Permanent representatives of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) are holding their first meetings in Georgia since July 2008.
One of Europe’s top human rights’ promoters has visited Khurvaleti, a Georgian village located at the border of Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) and spoken with people who were forced from their homes by conflict.
The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is looking for a way to restore its observer mission in the Russian-occupied regions of Georgia after being snubbed out following the 2008 Russia-Georgia war.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has held a fruitful meeting with a high official from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) today in Tbilisi.
Ukraine is stepping up its support for Georgia’s territorial integrity and is implementing its non-recognition policy of Russian-occupied regions of Georgia.
What is Germany’s role in conflict resolution in Georgia? From next year Germany will play a significant role in Georgia’s security once it takes over as chair country of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
The Council of Europe has today adopted an important decision for Georgia in which the organisation reiterates its unequivocal support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country within its internationally recognised borders.
European officials have come face-to-face with the harsh reality facing dozens of locals when they visited a village along the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) and the rest of Georgia.
A Latvian high official is in Georgia and learning about the challenges facing locals at the occupation line separating Georgia with one of it's breakaway regions.