Family of detained Georgian doctor holds protest rally near occupation line
Tamila Laparashvili, the wife of Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili illegally detained in Tskhinvali said today's demonstration was peaceful and aimed to her husband's immediate release. Photo: IPN
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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 demonstrators gathered near the Republic Square in central Tbilisi and went to the village of Odzisi close to the occupation line.
Gaprindashvili’s wife, Tamila Lapanashvili thanked the demonstrators for joining the family and asked everyone to make cautious remarks, until the Georgian doctor would be released from Tskhinvali custody and return home.
I would like to ask Ossetian people who have been residing together with us… I want to believe that those misunderstandings and problems that we had will be resolved through tolerance”, Lapanashvili stated.
She further underscored that her husband first of all serves to the health and protection of people, therefore, it is unimaginable that he is detained in his homeland because of his "human mission".
Stressing that their rally is “human, nonpolitical and nonviolent”, Tamila Lapanashvili said, this is an appeal to Ossetian doctors to let Vazha Gaprindashvili fulfil his duties as well.
Gaprindashvili's family held a press conference a week ago, urging the Georgian government to take more active steps for the “immediate release” of the doctor .
As the so-called district court in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Akhalgori district left Vazha Gaprindashvili in pretrial detention, his family moved to "a radical form of protest".
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.
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.
One month has expired since the abduction of well-known Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili by Russian-controlled occupation forces.
Former Russian Deputy FM Gregory Karasin, who still represents Russia in economic talks with Georgia, says that his country, which exercises effective control of Georgia’s two occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali, “is closely observing the situation” around a well-known Georgian doctor Vazha Garindashvili, who was abducted by Russian controlled occupation forces on November 9.
The family of well-known Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili, who was abducted by Russian-controlled occupation forces on November 9, says that the Georgian government has created a coordination council composed of top state officials to take all measures for the release of the doctor from occupied Tskhinvali prison.
The Georgian Interior Ministry has detained four individuals earlier today after civic activists and opposition members tried to pitch a tent in the room of Tbilisi City Assembly member from the Georgian Dream ruling party Erekle Kukhianidze, who criticised and abused abducted doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili and his family in his Facebook post on December 13.
The United States remains ‘especially concerned’ by the ongoing detention of Doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili [by Russian controlled occupation forces], and echoes ‘calls from across the international community’ for his immediate release, the US Mission to the OSCE reports.
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.