Woman with urgent need of aid dies due to closed ‘checkpoint’ with occupied Tskhinvali

Occupation forces have refused to dismantle two illegal ‘police-posts’ arranged on Tbilisi-administered territory and declined to open a so-called checkpoint to the Akhalgori district, where the local population is on the verge of humanitarian catastrophe. 

The de facto leadership of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region has announced a temporary closure of a so-called checkpoint at the village of Perevi in western Georgia. The de facto security committee of Tskhinvali says that the reason for the closure between 8 pm on September 20 and 6 am on September 22 is the so called Day of the Republic of South Ossetia. 

The US is concerned by the current tension at the Tskhinvali occupation line and the closure of so-called borders which further complicates the situation on the ground and creates serious humanitarian problems, Acting US Ambassador to Georgia Elisabeth Rood said. 

The central Georgian government has confirmed that a ‘police post’ opened by occupying forces  near the village of Tsnelisi, Kareli Municipality, is on Tbilisi-administered territory. The confirmation came after today’s meeting in the village of Ergneti between the members of the central Georgian government and the de facto leadership of the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region. 

The European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) offers its “sincere condolences” for the “unfortunate death” of Margo Martiashvili, who suffered a stroke in the Russian-controlled Akhalgori district yesterday. 

EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell says that the death of 70-year-old Margo Martiashvili, who suffered a stroke in the Russian-occupied Akhalgori district and was unable to be transported to the Tbilisi-administered territory because of the closed “checkpoints” with Tskhinvali, is “tragic, and we are doing our best for the crossing points to be reopened.”

Georgian Foreign Ministry David Zalkaliani has stated that the humanitarian crisis in Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions [of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali] is one of the major challenges for the government, responding to the recent death of a woman in Tskhinvali due to the closed ‘checkpoint” with the breakaway region. He again raised the issue while meeting with the US Department of States Special Envoy and Coordinator of the Global Engagement Center Lea Gabrielle earlier today.

Karlo Taziashvili, 80, has been delivered to a hospital on Tbilisi-controlled territory from the Akhlalgori district of the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) yesterday.

People in Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region don’t have access to vitally important healthcare services as the region has been in isolation for months, State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality Ketevan Tsikhelashvili stated earlier today.

The consolidated report of the Council of Europe on the conflict in Georgia says that fundamental human rights are being violated in Georgia’s two Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali, citing several tragic incidents. 

A woman with COVID-19 symptoms has been transferred to Bomond Clinic in Georgia’s western city of Kutaisi from Russian-occupied Abkhazia where she gave birth to a child. The result of the laboratory tests for coronavirus is not known yet.

Residents of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Akhalgori district are prohibited not only from moving to the central government-controlled territory and receiving quality medical services there, but also from receiving scheduled services at the Akhalgori local hospital, reports Democracy Research Institute NGO (DRI).

Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region has reported two more cases of the coronavirus, increasing the total number of infected individuals to three.

Jumber Miladze, 63, has died while being transported to a hospital on Tbilisi-controlled territory from the Akhalgori district of the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region earlier today, IPN reports.

Residents of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Akhalgori district have to receive Ossetian passports in order to get pensions, reports the Democracy Research Institute (DRI) NGO. Several pensioners have already been granted Ossetian citizenship under a simplified procedure in Akhalgori district.

40-year old Gela Gariev has died in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region, as local doctors could not diagnose his medical problem and offer him appropriate care, reports RFE/RL.

Vera Kotolova, a teacher from Georgia’s Russian-occupied Akhalgori district who suffered serious health issues, has died as she was denied entry to Tbilisi-controlled territory for treatment. Akhalgori municipality governor Nugzar Tinikashvili says that it is not the first time locals in the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region have died due to low quality medical aid in the region and being unable to receive permission to travel to Tbilisi-controlled territory by the de facto authorities. 

A 68-year-old doctor has died of coronavirus in the Russia-occupied Akhalgori district. Onise Gatenashvili was a surgeon at the Akhalgori hospital. His family requested he be sent to Tbilisi for treatment when he tested positive for COVID-19. 

The European Union (EU) welcomes the Council of Europe’s latest (22nd) report on the conflict in Georgia and expresses its grave concern about the continuous deterioration of the human rights and security situation in Georgia’s Russia-occupied Abkhazia, Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions.

Georgian State Minister for Reintegration and Civic Equality Tea Akhvlediani has stated that the Russian-occupied region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) remains ‘closed and artificially isolated’. The State Minister noted as well that 16 people have died due to denied access to urgent medical care and delayed hospitalisation.