US concerned by the decision of de-facto South Ossetian authorities

The United States is concerned by the decision of de facto South Ossetian authorities to temporarily close control crossing points in Georgia along the administrative boundary line in the Russian-occupied territory of South Ossetia.

Occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) leadership announced the closure of  the so-called administrative boundary line with the rest of Georgia on May 7 regarding the 73th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, when the Soviet Union defeated Nazi Germany in the 1941-1945 armed conflict. The checkpoint was closed at 8 pm on May 7 and will open at 8 pm on May 10.

"These closures coincide with Georgia’s celebration of Victory Day and restrict freedom of movement for residents living on both sides of the administrative boundary line,” says the statement by the spokesperson Heather Nauert published on May 8 on the website of the State Department.

The United States calls for an immediate halt to the ongoing illegal detentions of Georgian citizens by de facto and Russian authorities along the administrative boundary lines with the Russian-occupied territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.