President on shooting of Georgian citizen near occupation line:
'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.

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The government of Georgia can do only one thing. This is to make the EU monitoring mission more active and increase the area of its activities. This is what is within our capabilities and it is necessary to act", said Zurabishvili.

Resident of central Georgia's Kaspi Municipality village of Kvemo Tchala, Zaza Gakheladze, was shot in the leg and then arrested around 9:30 am local time on July 11, with the de-facto Security Committee of South Ossetia releasing the information to the family later.

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The occupation authorities alleged 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 ‘border’ patrol officers.

Gakheladze has been moved to Akhalgori, a town on the occupied side of the administrative boundary, with the de-facto authorities telling the family he was being treated and in ‘stable condition’.

Relatives have said Gakheladze had been gathering mushrooms near the occupation line when he was arrested and taken to Akhalgori.

Georgian state agencies have notified the European Union Monitoring mission hotline about the incident.