EUMM release confirms hotline use on detention, alleged shooting of Georgian citizen near occupation line
The European Union mission on Sunday confirmed use of its hotline for information-sharing on the incident. Photo: EUMM Georgia on Flickr.
Tweet 
Share
A European Union Monitoring Mission release on Sunday confirmed "extensive use" of the Mission's hotline regarding the detention and alleged shooting of a Georgian citizen by de-facto authorities of the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region on Saturday.
The statement of the mission said the Mission had been involved in an exchange of information on the incident and was following up on subsequent developments, after a 33-year-old man was reportedly shot and then taken into custody by occupation forces.
The Mission has been facilitating the exchange of respective information [on the incident] throughout the day. The EUMM will follow up closely the alleged shooting incident and subsequent detention," the statement read.
Expanding on the incident, the press release noted Head of the Mission Marek Szczygieł recalling the "importance of a swift resumption of the Ergneti Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) as the appropriate forum for regular dialogue and confidence building".
Local media reported on shooting and arrest of Zaza Gakheladze, resident of central Georgia's Kaspi Municipality village of Kvemo Tchala, by de-facto authorities near the Administrative Boundary Line in the morning on Saturday.
The de-facto Security Committee of South Ossetia notified Gakheladze's family about the incident, alleging Gakheladze had crossed the "state border" and opened fire on "border protection staff" after an appearance of the latter on the scene. The "committee" said the Georgian citizen had been injured in return fire from the "border" patrols.
The Georgian man wounded and arrested by occupation forces near the Kvemo Tchala village in central Georgia on Saturday has been reportedly moved from the town of Akhalgori to the occupied Tskhinvali.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia has "categorically condemned" the shooting and arrest of a Georgian citizen near the administrative line dividing the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region from the Georgian-controlled territory on Saturday, demanding the injured person be returned by the de-facto authorities.
A Georgian citizen was shot and arrested near the administrative line dividing the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region from the Georgian-controlled territory on Saturday, with the de-facto authorities taking the man to detention in the occupied Akhalgori town.
A Georgian man arrested by occupation forces near the administrative line bordering the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region earlier this month has been placed under quarantine.
The US and UNDP representation to Georgia say that they are ‘concerned and alarmed’ by the shooting and illegal detention of Georgian citizen Zaza Gakheladze, 33, by the Russian-controlled occupation forces on July 11.
Tbilisi has demanded the resumption of Ergneti Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meetings amid the shooting and illegal detention of Georgian citizen Zaza Gakheladze by the de facto authorities of the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region on July 11.
The US Department of States has strongly condemned the shooting and illegal detention of Georgian citizen Zaza Gakheladze, 33, by the Russian-controlled occupation forces on July 11.
'Gov't should make EU monitoring mission more active'
The president of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili has responded to the shooting and illegal detention of Georgian citizen Zaza Gakheladze, 33, by Russian-controlled occupation forces on July 11 and said that the only thing the government can do is to use the role of the EU monitoring mission.
All tools of the Georgian government as well as its international partners are involved in efforts to return the citizen shot and arrested by occupation forces last week, prime minister Giorgi Gakharia told local media on Saturday.
The citizen arrested by occupation forces in central Georgia on July 3 has received preliminary detention, extending the unlawful restriction of his freedom, the State Security Service of Georgia has confirmed.