Georgian man shot six times, killed by Russia’s border guards near ABL with Abkhazia
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A Georgian citizen has been shot six times and killed by Russia'a border guards patrolling the area between Georgia and breakaway Abkhazia region.
Georgian authorities reacted to the news, saying they’re shocked and saddened by yesterday’s incident, which occurred in Khurcha village, which is currently controlled by Georgia.
In a statement Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Ministry said it was "deeply concerned” and said Russia was wholly responsible for the action.
Just before midday yesterday Russia's border guards near de facto Abkhazia region fired six bullets at Giga Otkhozoria, 31, who was trying to transport food into to the breakaway region for a funeral ceremony of his late aunt.
Locals said the border guards demanded Otkhozoria pay some money in exchange for transporting the goods into Abkhazia, which caused a dispute.
Witnesses said Otkhozoria ran away from the border guards but was shot as he retreated. He was on territory controlled by the Government of Georgia when he was gunned down.
The 31-year-old was rushed to Zugdidi Hospital with six gunshot wounds, including one to the face, said a doctor at the hospital.
Georgia’s State Security said four border guards opened fire on Otkhozoria as he retreated.
This criminal act once again demonstrates the highly alarming situation in the occupied region of Abkhazia, Georgia and the full responsibility of [this crime] lies with the Russian Federation and the power in effective control of the occupied region,” said Georgia’s Foreign Ministry.
The above mentioned criminal act reaffirms the need to establish international security mechanisms in occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions,” said the Ministry.
Upon learning of the shooting, Georgia’s Foreign Ministry "immediately” contacted the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) and co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions – which deals with Georgia’s conflict issues representing the European Union, the United Nations and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe – about the incident and requested their "due reaction”.
Additionally, head of the Georgian Delegation at the Geneva International Discussions David Dondua had a phone conversation with head of the Russian Delegation Grigori Karasin.
Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed Georgia would apply all existing international mechanisms to ensure the incident is adequately responded to both politically and legally, and those responsible for the crime are brought to justice.
"I call on Russia to reverse its recognition of the South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions of Georgia as independent states,” said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the NATO-Georgia Commission meeting in Brussels today.
Leaders of Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia region plan to introduce visa regimes for states that refuse to recognise it as an independent state.
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The 35th round of Geneva International Discussions – the only international format of meetings addressing Georgia-Russia relations – has ended positively.
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The European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia has responded to the brutal murder of a Georgian man near the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) separating de facto Abkhazia region from the rest of Georgia.
Georgian authorities have uncovered the identity of the border guard who shot and killed a Georgian man near the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) separating de facto Abkhazia region from the rest of Georgia.
The United States (US) has condemned the brutal murder of a Georgian man near the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) separating de facto Abkhazia region from the rest of Georgia.
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Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has today travelled to western Georgia’s Samegrelo region to personally grieve with the family of a young Georgian man who was killed near the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) separating de facto Abkhazia region from the rest of Georgia on May 19.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili says Russia is "fully responsible” for the "brutal and disgusting” murder of a Georgian man who was shot and killed by Russian-controlled border guards at the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) separating occupied Abkhazia from rest of Georgia.
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Officials from Georgia, Russia, de-facto authorities from Georgia’s two breakaway regions and international conflict resolution experts are meeting this week to discuss the tense situation near Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
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UPDATED: 5.10pm
The Military Court operating in Georgia’s de facto Abkhazia region has imposed a sentence of home detention on the border guard who shot and killed 31-year-old Georgian man Giga Otkhozoria on May 19.
Minister Paata Zakareishvili told media that Georgia asked the de facto Abkhazian authorities to hand the border guard over to Georgia to be tried for his crime however the de facto side refused this request.
De facto Abkhazia is still refusing to transfer the border guard who brutally killed a Georgian citizen near the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) to the Georgian side to face charges.
The Government of Georgia has gifted a new home in west Georgia to the family of a man who was brutally slain near the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) separating Georgia from its occupied Abkhazia region.
The individual accused of murdering Giga Otkhozoria last year near the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) separating Georgia and its breakaway region of Abkhazia has been given two additional years of detention, which now makes for 14-years of imprisonment in total.
Deputy Head of the Analytical Department of Georgia’s State Security Service, Kakhaber Kemoklidze, says that Georgia has once again demanded the arrest of Russian-controlled border guard Rashid Kanjiogli who killed Georgian citizen Giga Otkhozoria last year.
Georgia’s Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) and partner organization European Human Rights Advocacy Centre (EHRAC) have filed a lawsuit against Russia in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), over a high profile murder case committed by a Russian-controlled border guard in 2016.
Three years have passed since the murder of Georgian citizen Giga Otkgozria by occupying forces in the village of Khurcha, near Georgia’s western, Russian-occupied Abkhazia region.
Four years have passed since the brutal murder of Georgian citizen Giga Otkhozoria by Russian-controlled border guards in the village of Khurcha, near Georgia’s western Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia.
Otkhozoria was trying to transport food into the breakaway Abkhazia region for a funeral ceremony for his late aunt on May 19, 2016, when so-called border guards demanded he pay in exchange for being allowed to transport the goods, which caused a dispute.
Georgian authorities on Thursday marked six years since the brutal murder of Georgian citizen Giga Otkhozoria by occupation forces across the administrative boundary over the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region in the country’s west.
The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday found Russia responsible for the murder of Giga Otkhozoria, a 30-year-old Georgian citizen who was killed by a Russian-controlled “border guard” near the country’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region in 2016.