EU gravely concerned with tragic death of Georgian citizen and detention of two others in occupied Tskhinvali
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The latest developments in Georgia’s Russian occupied region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), in particular the tragic death of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili and the detention of two others, are a source of grave concern, the European Union (EU) Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Service said in its recent statement.
Expressing their condolences to the late Tatunashvili's family, the statement said the EU is ready through its Monitoring Mission (EUMM) to support ongoing investigations and to facilitate discussions through the Incident Prevention and Support Mechanism (IPRM) and the mission hotline.
Following the release from custody of the two Georgian citizens detained, we expect the de facto authorities in Tskhinvali to urgently ensure that they are allowed to travel to Tbilisi administered territory”, the statement said.
The Georgian State Security Service has reported that Archil Tatunashvili, Levan Kutashvili and Ioseb Pavliashvili were illegally detained by occupying forces in the Akhalgori region of Georgia last week.
Tatunashvili was killed, while the other two were detained in the country’s occupied Tskhinvali region.
These latest developments underline the need for additional measures to ensure transparency and improve confidence", it further noted.
The statement once again reiterated that the EU continues to firmly support peace building and conflict resolution in Georgia, including through its co-chairmanship of the Geneva International Discussions and the Monitoring Mission on the ground.
It also supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders.
Condemning persecutions against Georgian citizens, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said he will raise this issue at the upcoming EU foreign ministers meeting.
The ugly face of oppressive regime in Russia's occupied South Ossetia. Condemn persecutions against Georgian citizens and echo the call to establish international human rights and security mechanisms on the ground. I will raise this issue during tomorrow's meetings in #FAC. https://t.co/wofmsplTIa
— Linas Linkevicius (@LinkeviciusL) February 25, 2018
In its recent statement, Georgian Foreign Ministry said the illegal actions against Georgian citizens reveal the necessity for the immediate creation of international mechanisms on the ground.
The European Union (EU) Special Representative for the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar is concerned about the death of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili in the country’s Russian occupied Tskhinvali region. Klaar believes the upcoming Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meeting scheduled on March 1 is the right format to establish facts about the case.
The Government of Georgia has demanded "clear and comprehensive information” on the death of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili in the country’s occupied Tskhinvali region today.
The co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Georgia, Kerstin Lundgren and Titus Corlatean, have expressed their deep concern and condemned the death of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili while being detained by the de facto authorities in Georgia’s Russian occupied region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
The United States (US) Embassy to Georgia expressed its deep concern over the death of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili during his February 22 arrest and detention in the Russian occupied region of Georgia – Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
The United Nation’s Human Rights Office has twitted about the death of the Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili in the country’s occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region.
The international community continues to condemn the death of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili in unclear circumstances in the occupied Tskhinvali region. The Director for Eastern Europe of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany Andreas Peschke has tweeted that his country shares the EU’s concerns over the death.
The United States (US) is deeply concerned by the death of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili during his February 22 arrest and detention in the Russian-occupied Georgian territory of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia). US is also deeply concerned by the arrest of other Georgian citizens Levan Kutashvili and Ioseb Pavliashvili.
French Embassy in Georgia has offered its condolences to the family of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili who died in detention in Georgia’s Russian occupied region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) last week.
The Deputy Head of the Analytical Department of Georgia’s State Security Service has left an emergency meeting with the representatives of the occupied Tskhinvali region in protest, as occupants and the breakaway regime leadership refuse to hand over the body of Archil Tatunashvili.