Georgian national ballet Sukhishvilebi demands release of abducted doctor, urges foreign colleagues for help
Georgian National Ballet Sukhishvilebi has requested the help from its colleagues around the world to spread the protest against abduction of a well-known Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili. Photo: Sukhishvilebi.
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Georgian national ballet Sukhishvilebi has demanded the immediate release of a well-known Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili, who has been in illegal detention by Russian-controlled occupation forces in occupied Tskhinvali for 27 days, requesting help from colleagues around the world to spread the protest.
In the video address heads of the national dance ensemble Nino and Iliko Sukhishvili say that it is an issue which needs the attention, involvement and taking measures by the international community.
See the part of the video address here, where the heads and members of Sukhishvilebi say : Freedom for doctor Vazha.
Russian former Deputy FM Gregory Karasin, who met with the Georgian PM’s Special Representative in Relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze in Prague last month, said that Gaprindashvili’s issue “is likely to be settled soon.”
On November 22 Amnesty International demanded the release of the doctor who was sentenced to two-month illegal, pretrial detention in the Tskhinvali region on November 15 “for deliberately crossing the border.”
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has stated that government agencies are working in a 24-hour regime to achieve the release of doctor Gaprindashvili.
Georgian FM David Zalkaliani has already raised the issue with High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, acting chair of OSCE Miroslav Lajcak, Deputy Secretary General of UN Rosemary DiCarlo and Deputy Secretary General of NATO Mircea Geoana, the Georgian Foreign Ministry reported yesterday.
De facto Tskhinvali says that the doctor "deliberately crossed the border." Photo: Firefly World.
A number of officials and organisations, including President Salome Zurabishvili, the United States Embassy to Georgia, the US mission to OSCE have expressed their support to Gaprindashvili.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry said on November 16 that they are doing their best to ensure the safe return of the doctor.
Georgians living in Italy gathered in front of the Russian embassy in Rome yesterday, demanding the immediate release of well-known Georgian traumatologist Vazha Gaprindashvili, who was abducted by Russian-controlled occupation forces 21 days ago. The demonstrators held posters in different languages with pictures of the doctor, singing the national anthem of Georgia.
Former Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin said after meeting with Georgian PM’s special representative for relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze in Prague on Thursday that he hopes Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili will be released from the Tskhinvali custody soon.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani says that he is starting every meeting inside and outside the country by raising the topic of Vazha Gaprindashvili, a well-known Georgian doctor who was abducted by Russian-controlled occupation forces 19 days ago.
The de facto security committee of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region says that famous Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili, who was abducted by occupation forces on November 9, “deliberately crossed the border and the step was well-planned.”The de facto agency reports that during the interrogation Gaprindashvili said that he “deliberately crossed the border as he was going to the church in the village of Monastery.”
Iliko Sukhishvili, chief choreographer and artistic director of Georgian National Ballet Sukhishvilebi, has been injured in a road accident in Tbilisi today.