Russian-controlled Tskhinvali sentences Georgian doctor to almost two years in prison
Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili has been in illegal detention since November 9. Photo: Firefly World.
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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.
Gaprindashvili was abducted on November 9 and was sentenced to illegal, two-month pretrial detention on November 15 in the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region, where he was allegedly visiting a patient.
The trial in Tskhinvali was held earlier today, with expectations in Tbilisi that the doctor would be released.
Tskhinvali is demanding from Gaprindashvili admit to “crossing the border,” which the doctor refuses to say, stating that “Tskhinvali is part of Georgia and is now occupied by Russia.”
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.
Zalkaliani also 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.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has stated that government agencies are working in a 24-hour regime to achieve the release of doctor Gaprindashvili.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.”
A number of foreign officials have denounced the Tskhinvali decision to sentence Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindahsvili to one year and nine-months to prison for “deliberately crossing the border” between occupied Tskhinvali and the rest of Georgia in early November.
Ambassadors of the United Kingdom and Germany to Georgia, Justin McKenzie Smith and Hubert Knirsch have expressed hope that Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili, who has been sentenced to one year and nine months to prison in Tskhinvali, will be released soon.
The family of well -known Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili, who was abducted by Russian-controlled occupation forces on November 9 and was illegally sentenced to one year and nine months to prison “for deliberately crossing the border” last week, has addressed the diplomatic corps in Georgia ‘to spare no efforts’ in achieving the release of the doctor.
De facto President of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region Anatoly Bibilov says that the sentence of well-known Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili to one year and nine months in prison is “a fair punishment.”
A working group has been created by the family of well-known Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili to help organize his release after he was abducted by Russian-controlled occupation forces on November 9, 2019.