De-facto Tskhinvali government to close crossing-point for illegal inauguration

Locals of the Russian occupied Georgian region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) cannot use the crossing-point between the breakaway region and the rest of Georgia for three days.

The de-facto administration of Tskhinvali is closing the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) tomorrow due to the "inauguration” of de-facto president-elect Anatoly Bibilov scheduled this Saturday, April 21.

From tomorrow evening till Saturday morning, people will be temporarily deprived of the right to use the crossing-point "due to strengthened security measures".

Illegal presidential elections were held in Russian occupied Tskhinvali on April 9 accompanied by a referendum on changing Tskhinvali region’s name to ‘the Republic of South Ossetia – the State of Alania”.

Both acts have been denounced by Tbilisi and its international partners.

• Estonia, Ukraine denounce illegal elections, referendum in occupied Tskhinvali
• NATO condemns illegitimate elections, referendum in Georgia’s occupied territories
• Lithuania doesn’t recognise so-called elections, referendum in breakaway Tskhinvali region

Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said earlier that any so-called elections or referendum in the occupied territories of Georgia are illegal and cannot have any legal effect.