Family of abducted doctor addresses diplomatic corps in Georgia
Doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili was illegally sentenced on December 20 in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region. Photo: IPN.
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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.
First of all we want to thank all diplomatic missions in Georgia for their incredible support since the abduction of Vazha on November 9. Despite the various attempts, a shocking decision was made [in the Russian occupied Tskhinvali region] and Vazha was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison. The illegal verdict is ultimately disturbing not only for the family, but also for the Georgian people, the state, his patients and for each person in the world who values human rights,” the family said in its special statement.
The family urged the diplomatic corps to continue the fight for the release of the doctor.
Gaprindashvili was illegally sentenced on December 20 as he did not admit to “crossing the border,” saying that Tskhinvali is part of Georgia and is now occupied by Russia.
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.
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.
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 and UN Under Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo have spoken about the abduction of well-known Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili and his illegal sentencing to prison by the Russian-controlled de facto Tskhinvali in a phone conversation, the Georgian Foreign Ministry reported earlier today.
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.
Georgian doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili, who was released from Tskhinvali prison today, thanked everyone for supporting him since his detention.