Occupied Tskhinvali makes Russian and Ossetian languages mandatory for kindergarten teachers
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The de facto leadership of Georgia’s eastern occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region has made Russian and Ossetian languages mandatory for teachers of kindergartens in Georgia’s occupied Akhalgori area, which is mostly resided by ethnic Georgians.
Akhalgori governor Nugzar Tinikashvili, who confirmed the information, says that all the teachers of two kindergartens and other staff have been dismissed as they did not know both of the mandatory languages.
The step aims to force Georgian families to leave Akhalgori. Most of the kids are Georgians and they know neither Russian nor Ossetian. This is a restriction of fundamental human rights,” Tinikashvili said.
Russia recognised the Georgian occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) as independent republics in the wake of the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.
Only Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria say the regions are independent countries.
Before the war, Akhalgori district had a population of 7,700, with approximately 2,000 living in the town itself.
The largest villages were Ikorta, Korinta, Qanchaveti, Kvemo Zakhori, Largvisi, Doretkari, and Karchokhi. The population was primarily Georgian (6,520) and Ossetian (1,110).
The Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria has nominated Tamar Mearakishvili, a Georgian activist based in the country’s occupied Akhalgori area, for the United Nations Human Rights Prize and Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize for her "outstanding contribution to defending the rights of conflict-affected population”.
Georgia’s Minister of Reconciliation and Civil Equality Ketevan Tsikhelashvili says that occupied Tskhinvali’s hints about replacing the Georgian language with Russian at Akhalgori schools, is "another step within the policy of Russification”.
The de-facto leadership of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) is planning to open a customs point between the region and the rest of Georgia. De-facto head of Tskhinvali’s so-called customs committee Murat Tskhovrebov announced the news today.
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.
So-called border guards of Russian-occupied South Ossetia have detained three citizens of Georgia for ‘illegal border crossing’.
Georgian Reconciliation Minister Ketevan Tsikhelashvili says that the opening of a Russian school in Georgia’s eastern occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region should be a signal to Ossetians living in the region.
Russian helicopters flew over several village of Gori municipality today, in eastern Georgia, near the occupation line between Georgia and its occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region.