Ukraine condemns shooting, illegal detention of Georgian citizen by Russian-led occupation forces
Ukraine says that Russia is systematically violating international law. Photo:Ukrainian MFA.
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The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has condemned the shooting and illegal detention of Georgian citizen Zaza Gakheladze by Russian-led occupation forces on July 11, stating that Russia ‘systematically violates the international law and is a threat to regional peace and stability.’
The statement says that ‘‘such provocative actions by the Russian occupation regime’ are a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement of August 12, 2008 with Georgia and aimed at destabilising the security situation in the region.
By carrying out practices of detentions, abductions, torture and killings, Russia continues systematically and unprecedentedly to violate the norms of international humanitarian law,” said the Ukrainian MFA.
The statement reaffirmed Ukraine’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders and demanded that Russia ‘cease its destabilising actions against the Georgian civilian population.’
The de facto leadership of the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region refuses to release Gakheladze, who was shot in the leg, from illegal detention.
Russia says it is concerned by the ‘more frequent and provocative statements and actions of Georgia’ towards currently occupied Tskhinvali and Abkhazia regions of Georgia, and accuses the US Department of State and the US Embassy in Georgia of ‘provocative activities.’
'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.
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.
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.