CoE Congress concerned by death of Georgian citizen in occupied Tskhinvali
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The Council of Europe (CoE) Congress President Gudrun Mosler-Törnström shared her concern over the death of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili in the Russian occupied region of Georgia – Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
Congress President Mosler-Törnström said she joins the entire international community in expressing her outrage and sorrow at this tragic event.
A transparent investigation is urgently needed to establish the circumstances behind his death and the responsibility for this act”, she said.
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is an institution of the Council of Europe, responsible for strengthening local and regional democracy in its 47 member states.
Underlining the Congress’ long-standing support for Georgia’s territorial integrity, Mosler-Törnström also expressed her sincere condolences to the family of Tatunashvili.
She further added that the two people detained with Tatunashvili should immediately be released and placed under the authority of the legitimate government in Tbilisi.
- Tatunashvili and two other Georgian citizens were detained by occupation forces on February 22 in the Akhalgori area, on territory currently controlled by Russians.
- Tskhinvali media announced the death of Tatunashvili on February 23, and stated that the latter had an incident with detention facility staff and fell down a flight of stairs. However, the de facto security service of Tskhinvali claims the man died due to heart failure.
- The Government of Georgia has demanded "clear and comprehensive information” on the death of Tatunashvili in the country’s occupied Tskhinvali.
- The European Union, United States and the rest of the international community continue to condemn the death of Georgian citizen in unclear circumstances in the occupied Tskhinvali region.
- The Tskhinvali leadership refuses to hand over the body as they are waiting for Russian experts to carry out forensic expertise.
- Two others detained with Tatunashvili have been released but they cannot leave the occupied territory due to the fact that their identification documents have been confiscated.
The international community continues to condemn the death of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili in unclear circumstances in the occupied Tskhinvali region. The Director for Eastern Europe of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany Andreas Peschke has tweeted that his country shares the EU’s concerns over the death.
The United States (US) Embassy to Georgia expressed its deep concern over the death of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili during his February 22 arrest and detention in the Russian occupied region of Georgia – Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
The co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) for the monitoring of Georgia, Kerstin Lundgren and Titus Corlatean, have expressed their deep concern and condemned the death of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili while being detained by the de facto authorities in Georgia’s Russian occupied region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
The Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze has addressed the recent death of Georgian citizen Artchil Tatunashvili in the Tskhinvali region, as well as the previous murder of Giga Otkhozoria in the occupied regions from the UN high tribune.
The United States (US) is deeply concerned by the death of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili during his February 22 arrest and detention in the Russian-occupied Georgian territory of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia). US is also deeply concerned by the arrest of other Georgian citizens Levan Kutashvili and Ioseb Pavliashvili.
James Appathurai, NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Special Representative for the Caucasus and Central Asia has expressed his deep concern with the latest developments in the Russian occupied region of Georgia – Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
The Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze has paid particular attention to the most recent death of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili in the country’s occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region during his meeting with Michael Moller, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia has stated that the government of Georgia is doing its utmost to achieve the handing over of Tatunashvili’s body.
French Embassy in Georgia has offered its condolences to the family of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili who died in detention in Georgia’s Russian occupied region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) last week.
Georgian students living in London have gathered in front of the Russian Embassy to condemn the death of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili in Georgia’s Russian occupied region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
The Deputy Head of the Analytical Department of Georgia’s State Security Service has left an emergency meeting with the representatives of the occupied Tskhinvali region in protest, as occupants and the breakaway regime leadership refuse to hand over the body of Archil Tatunashvili.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has visited the family of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili who died in the country’s Russian occupied region of Tskhinvali last week. He believes this is a huge tragedy and a very treacherous act against Georgians, Abkhazians, and Ossetians, „designed to undermine the steps we are taking”.
The Georgian Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze has stated at a conference in Moldova that Russia’s open or silence consent to violation of human rights leads to deaths of Georgian citizens in the occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) of Georgia.
The Embassy of Japan to Georgia has stated that they are "deeply concerned” by the death of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili in the country’s occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region on February 23.
The Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) delegation has carried out a visit to Georgia from 10 to 21 September.
The EU has expressed its deep concern about the the continuous deterioration of the human rights situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia in a statement on the Secretary General’s 18th consolidated report which touched on the conflict in Georgia.
The Council of Europe’s anti-corruption body GRECO published a report on December 19 looking at how Georgia has implemented the recommendations on dealing with corruption offences, and specifically on the transparency of party funding.