President Zurabishvili calls for Georgian doctor’s ‘immediate release’ from Tskhinvali custody

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. 

• Occupied Akhalgori court leaves well-known Georgian doctor in illegal pretrial detention

A so-called district court in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Akhalgori district left Gaprindashvili in pretrial detention “for deliberately crossing the border” to occupied Tskhinvali region yesterday. 

Despite a number attempts and active engagement of the international community, the illegally detained doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili was left in detention: Zurabishvili said.

She further noted that this worsens the existing grave situation in occupied Tskhinvali. 

President Zurabishvili earlier called on the international community “to react with all possible means” to the detention of a Georgian doctor and traumatologist Vazha Gaprindashvili on November 15.

Vazha Gaprindashvili was abducted on November 9 and was sent to illegal, two-month pretrial detention on November 15.

De facto Tskhinvali is demanding Gaprindashvili admit he “illegally crossed the border” between occupied Tskhinvali and the rest of Georgia, which the doctor refuses to do, saying Tskhinvali is part of Georgia.

Meanwhile, the family and friends of Gaprindashvili plan to hold a peaceful demonstration near the occupation line in solidarity with the detained doctor.