Occupied Akhalgori court leaves well-known Georgian doctor in illegal pretrial detention
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A so-called district court in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Akhalgori district has left a well-known Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili in pretrial detention “for deliberately crossing the border” to occupied Tskhinvali region more than a month ago.
The closed court session was held in Akhalgori earlier today, shortly after the Geneva International Discussions where the issue was raised.
Gaprindashvili was abducted on November 9, 2019.
On November 15, he was sent to illegal, two-month pretrial detention.
De facto Tskhinvali is demanding Gaprindashvili admit he “illegally crossed the border” which the doctor refuses to do, saying Tskhinvali is part of Georgia [de facto Tskhinvali reports].
Georgian officials have been actively raising the issue since his illegal detention.
The family had expectations that Gaprindashvili would be released. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani raised the issue during his meeting with the Chair of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak on December 7.
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 Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has 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.
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.
Illegal detention and sentencing of a Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili in the Russian-occupied Georgian region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) was the key issue raised at the 50th Geneva International Discussions on December 10-11.
The family of a famous Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili, who was abducted by occupation forces on November 9, has told the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) that the health condition of the doctor is satisfactory and he has faced no mistreatment in the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry announced yesterday they are doing their best to ensure the safe return of Vazha Gaprindashvili, a doctor who was recently sentenced to two-month pretrial detention by de facto Tskhinvali authorities. The ministry said that the detention of a well-known Georgian doctor and traumatologist points at “alarming human rights situation” in the Russian-occupied Georgian regions.
The United States Embassy to Georgia calls for “the immediate release” of Vazha Gaprindashvili, a well-known Georgian doctor and traumatologist, who was sentenced to two-month pretrial detention by de facto Tskhinvali authorities yesterday.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has again called on the international community to “strengthen their efforts” to ensure “the immediate release” of Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili from Tskhinvali custody.
Family and friends of Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili are holding a peaceful demonstration near the occupation line a month after he was sent to two-month pretrial detention “for deliberately crossing the border” of the occupied Tskhinvali region.
The Georgian Dream ruling party has decided to dismiss its member in Tbilisi City Assembly Erekle Kukhianidze who criticised and abused a doctor abducted by occupation forces and his family in a Facebook post published on December 13.
Karlo Taziashvili, 80, has been delivered to a hospital on Tbilisi-controlled territory from the Akhlalgori district of the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) yesterday.
The court in Georgia’s Russian-controlled Tskhinvali region has sentenced a well-known Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili to one year and nine-months to prison for “deliberately crossing the border,” despite a large-scale local and international campaign for the release of the abducted doctor. The information has been released by head of Georgia’s Bar Association David Asatiani.