Georgian church isolated behind barbed wire fences
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The installation of barbed wire fences by Russian and Ossetian border guards has left a historical Georgian church isolated behind the fences, which mark the so-called boundary between Georgian and Ossetian territory.
This means Georgian worshipers are unable to visit St George Church – a historical place of worship – as it is now located in the Zeda Adzvi village in Georgia’s uncontrolled territory.
This is extremely poignant as it will affect dozens of worshipers this Easter break.
In addition, as the boundary marker was recently placed near the Adzvi village, the farmland of many local residents has been cut as the land now rested on both sides of the border.
Senior Georgian Orthodox priests have called on Georgia’s special envoy to Russia Zurab Abashidze to raise this issue during his next meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin.
Abashidze and Karasin met in Prague on Wednesday for a sixth time since these negotiations began in December 2012.
Abashidze said after his talk with Karasin, he was told the locals would have "unhindered access to the church” for the duration of the upcoming Easter holiday.
Furthermore, the priests also revealed the number of abductions of local residents had increased since construction of a monastery at the Bale forest, near the Ergneti village, was suspended. The area is currently being controlled by Ossetians.
The priests believed renewing the function of the monastery would reduce the number of kidnapped locals living near the occupation line and improve the stability in the region.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday a Georgian journalist and camera crew of broadcasting company TV3 were detained by Russian border guards near the occupation line when they were covering the story of Russia’s creeping occupation as it continued to move the border further into Georgian territory. The trio were released yesterday – about 24 hours after they were detained.
Three Georgian journalists have been released after being taken captive near the occupation line near South Ossetia.
Georgia’s envoy Zurab Abashidze said he listened to a "simple announcement” from Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin, who said Russia had no plans to put any kind of pressure on Georgia as the country prepares to sign the AA with the European Union.
The Georgian Patriarchate has serious concerns about the barbed wire fences erected to mark the so-called boundary between Georgian and South Ossetian territory.
The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA) has applied to European Court of Human Rights on behalf to people living near the barbed wire fences in one of Georgia’s breakaway regions.
Russian soldiers have detained a fourth Georgian citizen in the Kareli district, which runs alongside the disputed border near South Ossetia.
Three Georgian women detained by Russian forces for allegedly illegally crossing the so-called border near South Ossetia have been released after paying a fine.
Conflict resolution experts have descended on the Georgian village of Ergneti to discuss issues that are plaguing the troubled region following the detention of Georgian citizens near the occupation line.
The European Union is expressing its concern at the continuing installation of barbed wire fences and other artificial obstacles by the Russian Federation near the Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
An elderly man from the Kaspi district is the latest Georgian citizen to be detained by Russian soldiers at the so-called occupation line near Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region.
Russian Occupational forces have released a Georgian teenager, after he was taken as a hostage for allegedly crossing the so-called occupation line.
Negotiations on possible arrangements to facilitate visits to cemeteries and religious sites over the upcoming Easter period were unsuccessful. The 53rd meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) was held in Ergneti yesterday.
Citizens of Georgia living near the occupation line with Tskinvali (South Ossetia) region will have no chance of celebrating the upcoming Easter on April 12 as tradition calls to honour their loved ones.
A middle-aged resident has been snatched by Russian guards for allegedly attempting to cross the so-called border between Georgia and breakaway Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
An elderly Georgian man has been detained and taken hostage in occupied Tskhinvali territory after allegedly crossing the administrative border while watching his grazing cattle.
Relatives living on opposite sides of the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) and the rest of Georgia will have no chance of celebrating the upcoming New Year together.
Tskhinvali closes so-called border
Georgian and Ossetian relatives residing near the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) separating Georgia from its breakaway region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) will meet the New Year isolated from one another by barbed wire fences.
Women’s Information Centre brings Easter to Khurvaleti
Fourteen people from a local non-profit organisation visited a family living behind a barbed wire fence at Khurvaleti village today to celebrate Easter with them.