Family of abducted doctor says gov’t has created coordination council
Last week a peaceful rally took place at the occupation line with breakaway Tskhinvali region, organised by the family of abducted doctor Gaprindashvili, with demonstrators releasing a doctor’s white coat suspended by balloons onto Russian-controlled Akhalgori district. Photo: Tabula.
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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.
Gaprindashvili’s wife Tamila Lapanashvili stated earlier today that Georgian Reconciliation and Civil Equality Minister Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, Georgian PM’s Special Representative in Relations with Russia Zurab Abashidze, Deputy Foreign Minister Lasha Darsia and the PM’s advisor and spokesperson Irakli Chikovani are present on the council.
Lapanashvili stated that the Georgian government informed the international community regarding the illegal detention the very first day.
The family organised a rally near the occupation line on December 11. Photo: IPN.
More activity of international organisations is required for them to put pressure on Russia and de facto authorities,” Lapanashvili said.
She stated that the family and government are in close communication, sharing information and their plans.
I have never stated that the Georgian government is not doing anything for the release of Vazha. I have never said such words. The government has been involved from the day of the abduction and are working actively for the release of Vazha. However, we all need a result and the result is the release of Vazha,” Lapanashvili said.
Lapanashvili stated that a so-called trial is scheduled in Gaprindashvili’s case in Tskhinvali for Friday and “we are all waiting for the result of the so-called trial.”
Last week occupied Akhalgori court left Gaprindashvili in illegal pretrial detention.
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.
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.
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 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 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.
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.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has condemned the decision of Russian controlled de facto Tskhinvali to sentence well-known Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili to one year and nine months in prison and stated that the illegal detention was a “deliberate provocation.”