Georgia demands border guard from Abkhazia to face Georgian court
Tweet 
Share
Georgia is demanding a Russian-controlled border guard who shot and killed a Georgian man near the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) separating de facto Abkhazia and rest of Georgia to face a Georgian court of law and be punished for his actions.
An official from Georgia’s State Security Service (SSS) revealed this demand after today’s International Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meeting in Abkhazia’s Gali town. The meeting allowed Georgians and de facto Abkhazian leadership sit down for the first time in four years to discuss conflict issues and the brutal murder of 31-year-old Giga Otkhozoria.
The meeting was quite constructive and calm. It mainly concerned the murder in Khurcha village [on Georgian-controlled territory]. We raised the issue of handing over the killer to [the Georgian side] for him to stand before a Georgian court,” Irakli Beraia from the SSS stated.
He said the next IPRM meeting in Gali, which addresses human rights and security issues in and near de facto Abkhazia, would take place on July 6.
Before the next IPRM meeting, the next round of the Geneva International Discussions would heavily discuss the May 19 murder. The talks, created to address Georgia’s conflict issues, were next scheduled to take place in June.
Otkhozoria was on Georgian-controlled territory when he was gunned down by border guards stationed near the ABL with breakaway Abkhazia about 2.30pm on May 19.
Otkhozoria was shot six times, including once in the face. He was rushed to hospital but died soon after.
On May 21 Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office announced the individual who shot Otkhozoria had been identified.
That same day video footage was released which showed Otkhozoria retreating from a confrontation with the guards when he was shot.
The Chief Prosecutor’s Office has approached Interpol to announce an international search for Otkhozitia’s murderer.
A special meeting is taking place in occupied Abkhazia tomorrow where Georgian officials and de facto Abkhazian leadership will sit down for the first time in four years and discuss conflict issues, including the murder of a Georgian man near the Abkhazian Administrative Boundary Line (ABL).
Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has today travelled to western Georgia’s Samegrelo region to personally grieve with the family of a young Georgian man who was killed near the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) separating de facto Abkhazia region from the rest of Georgia on May 19.
Georgian authorities have uncovered the identity of the border guard who shot and killed a Georgian man near the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) separating de facto Abkhazia region from the rest of Georgia.
The European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia has responded to the brutal murder of a Georgian man near the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) separating de facto Abkhazia region from the rest of Georgia.
Georgia’s two highest officials have spoken out about the killing of a Georgian man near the de facto Abkhazia; with one saying his death was "merciless” and the other saying it was unacceptable barbed wire fences were installed on Georgian territory.
Russia has denied any involvement in the brutal murder of a Georgian man near the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) separating de facto Abkhazia region from the rest of Georgia.
A Georgian citizen has been shot six times and killed by Russia's border guards patrolling the area between Georgia and breakaway Abkhazia region.
Almost three weeks has passed since a Georgian man was gunned down near the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) separating de facto Abkhazia and rest of Georgia but the border guard who fired the fatal shots has not been apprehended.
The de facto Prime Minister of Georgia’s western occupied Abkhazia region says the region does not plan on holding a referendum to join Russia.
A group of human rights experts from the United Nations has released a statement saying human rights of people living in Georgia’s two occupied regions Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and Abkhazia are continually being violated.
Russian-controlled border guards monitoring the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between Georgia and one of its occupied regions have detained two Georgian men and accused them of illegally crossing the so-called border.