Georgian doctor’s illegal detention in Tskhinvali raised at 50th round of Geneva Int’l Discussions
The Georgian Foreign Minister stated earlier that the whole international community has been informed and foreign dignitaries are acting within their capacities to contribute to Vazha Gaprindashvili's “immediate release”. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Illegal detention and sentencing of a Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili in the Russian-occupied Georgian region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) was the key issue raised at the 50th Geneva International Discussions (GID) on December 10-11.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry reported that the co-chairs from European Union, United Nations and OSCE, as well as representatives from United States unanimously demanded Gaprindashvili’s “immediate release”.
The Georgian delegation also spoke of recent grave security and human rights situation in occupied Tskhinvali and Abkhazia as well as their adjacent villages, including “frequent provocations” from Russia and its occupying regimes especially along the village of Chorchana.
GID Co-chairs and participants from Georgia and US “harshly criticised” the detention of European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) patrol on the Georgian government-controlled territory in late October as well.
Participants from Tbilisi also underscored that the recent death of Margo Martiashvili and deterioration of health conditions of Tamar Gigauri - both locals of Akhalgori district - are the consequences of restricted freedom of movement and access to healthcare along the occupation line.
While discussing the ethnic cleansing of Georgians from both occupied regions and safe and dignified return of internally displaced persons and refugees to their original homes, representatives of Russia, Tskhinvali and Abkhazia, again left the negotiations.
The next round of Geneva International Discussions, which were launched in October 2008 to address the consequences of the Russia-Georgia war, will be held on March 31-April 1, 2020
Due to the Russian Federation’s “destructive attitude” the 47th round of Geneva International Discussions of April 2-3, have again ended without tangible results, Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Lasha Darsalia said after the two-day meetings.
Co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions welcome the reopening of crossing points connecting the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region and the rest of Georgia, but say “the closure was not justified”.
Co-chairs of Geneva International Discussions (GIDs) from the European Union, United Nations and OSCE, Toivo Klaar, Cihan Sultanoğlu and Rudolf Michalka met with Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani in Tbilisi after travelling to Tskhinvali earlier today.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry announced yesterday they are doing their best to ensure the safe return of Vazha Gaprindashvili, a doctor who was recently sentenced to two-month pretrial detention by de facto Tskhinvali authorities. The ministry said that the detention of a well-known Georgian doctor and traumatologist points at “alarming human rights situation” in the Russian-occupied Georgian regions.
A so-called district court in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Akhalgori district has left a well-known Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili in pretrial detention “for deliberately crossing the border” to occupied Tskhinvali region more than a month ago. The closed court session was held in Akhalgori earlier today, shortly after the Geneva International Discussions where the issue was raised.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has again called on the international community to “strengthen their efforts” to ensure “the immediate release” of Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili from Tskhinvali custody.
The Georgian Interior Ministry has detained four individuals earlier today after civic activists and opposition members tried to pitch a tent in the room of Tbilisi City Assembly member from the Georgian Dream ruling party Erekle Kukhianidze, who criticised and abused abducted doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili and his family in his Facebook post on December 13.
The Georgian Dream ruling party has decided to dismiss its member in Tbilisi City Assembly Erekle Kukhianidze who criticised and abused a doctor abducted by occupation forces and his family in a Facebook post published on December 13.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry reports that it is ‘concerned’ Russia has broken off the 51st round of Geneva International discussions, the only international format discussing the consequences of the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.
The Russian foreign ministry has called its Georgian counterpart's claim about the Russian side breaking off the last round of the Geneva international talks "unfounded" and "politicised" and said the postponement of the meeting had been caused by logistical complications due to the pandemic.