UN condemns continual human rights violations in Georgia breakaway regions

A group of human rights experts from the United Nations has released a statement saying human rights of people living in Georgia’s two occupied regions Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and Abkhazia are continually being violated.

A statement released yesterday by the United Nations (UN) Humans Rights Committee assessed human rights and humanitarian issues in Georgia’s two breakaway regions. The statement, voiced by Latvia on behalf of 42 UN member states at the Council’s 32nd session, highlighted a range of violations in the two de facto regions now occupied by Russia. 

The UN Human Rights Committee said it was "concerned” by the permanent violations of human rights in and near Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia). These violations included kidnappings, illegal detentions, restrictions to receive education in the mother language [Georgian] and ethnic discrimination. 

The statement read: "The existing hard situation in Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regarding human rights was even more complicated due to the recent murder of Georgian citizen Giga Otkhozoria by a Russian-controlled border guard on the territory controlled by Georgia on May 19.” 

The statement also said de facto Tskhinvali’s intent to hold a referendum about joining Russia "hindered stability and security in the occupied region”. 

The UN committee stressed the importance of the presence of international monitoring missions in and near Georgia’s occupied regions and said these missions encouraged safety and security in the volatile areas. 

In the statement’s final comments the UN reiterated its support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.