UN Security Council members condemn Russian occupation of Georgian territories ahead of 12th anniversary of 2008 war
The UN Security Council has discussed the situation in Georgia 12 years since the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.
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Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany, UK, US, Ireland and Norway have expressed support for Georgia following the UN Security Council’s online meeting yesterday, which discussed developments since the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.
The countries condemned Russia’s occupation of Georgian territories, creeping occupation, the illegal detention of Georgian citizens and other unlawful activities by the Russian-controlled occupation forces over the past 12 years.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani tweeted:
I would like to thank ????????‘s friends ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? for discussing ????????‘s cont. illegal occupation of ????????‘s regions & worsening HR violations/humanit. situation at UN SC marking 12th year since ????????‘s invasion of ???????? &calling ???????? to fully impl. commitments under Agr. of 12.08&8.09. 2008 https://t.co/nCyWkdy7PS
— David Zalkaliani (@DZalkaliani) August 5, 2020
The countries expressed concern over Russia’s disinformation campaign regarding the pandemic and the ‘life-saving’ work of the US-built Lugar Centre in Tbilisi.
The statement called upon Russia to withdraw its forces from Georgian territory.
The Russia-Georgia war in 2008 began in early August and lasted for five days.
Since then 20 per cent of historic Georgian lands remain occupied by Russia.
#EstoniaUNSC on continued ???????? aggression against #Georgia (#AOB):
— Estonia in UN ???????? (@EstoniaUN) August 5, 2020
???? Lack of progress by ???????? in implementing existing Agreements
???? Increase of provocative actions lately against ????????
???? Illegal detentions & borderisation in occupied Abkhazia & S-Ossetia continuing during pandemic pic.twitter.com/yfN6Y77B8O
Consequences of Russian aggression in 2008 in Georgia include:
- Human losses: 412 killed on the Georgian side – including 170 military servicemen, 14 policemen and 228 civilians
- 1,747 wounded on the Georgian side – including 973 military servicemen, 227 policemen and 547 civilians
- Three journalists killed, six journalists wounded
- 130,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) – out of which 26,000 are still denied the right of return. [Overall, the number of IDPs from both occupied regions is now close to half a million]
- 35,000 houses burned, ruined and destroyed
- 125 more villages have been occupied since the August 2008 war