Creeping occupation: New barbed-wire fences erected

Russia-controlled border guards and the leadership of Georgian eastern occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region are erecting barbed wire fences at the village of Balta, in the Kareli district of Georgia.

The de-facto leadership of Tskhinvali says that a one-kilometer-long barrier has already been made.

“The majority of people living in the occupied territories and who are hindered by the barbed wire fences built by the occupation regime are ethnic Ossetians that are not allowed to move about freely. This is another revelation as to how insignificant humans and their rights are to the occupation forces – how they do not care about their ethnicity be it Georgian, Abkhaz or Ossetian. The regime has one interest – military – and they believe it is in their strategic interest to increase tensions in the pre-election period to put more pressure on the population. Russia is not going to achieve any results with these provocations and we have reacted properly to this case”, State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality of Georgia, Ketevan Tsikhelashvili said.

The Georgian State Security Service confirms the erection of the fence and states that the hot line has been activated regarding the issue and the European Union Monitoring Mission has been informed.

The State Security Service says that the illegal erection of barbed wire fences restricts the free movement of locals and causes tension on the ground.