Russian-controlled Tskhinvali allows pensioners from Akhalgori to visit rest of Georgia once in two months
De facto Tskhinvali closed crossing points with the rest of Georgia on September 4,2019. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The Russian-controlled Tskhinvali leadership has allowed pensioners living in the occupied Akhalgori district to visit the rest of Georgia once in two months, to receive their pensions, REC news agency reports.
Humanitarian situation in Akhalgori is severe as the de facto authorities of Georgia's occupied region closed crossing points with the rest of Georgia in early September 2019, depriving locals from receiving timely and quality medical treatment or buy everyday items they need.
Tskhinvali allowed pensioners to leave the district on January 24, 2020, after almost a five-month of isolation.
The pensioners are allowed to stay on the Tbilisi-controlled territory until February 6, 2020.
The central Georgian government says that the crossing points must open. However, the de facto government is demanding the removal of a police post located on the Tbilisi-administered territory in the village of Chorchana, Khashuri municipality.
The de facto leadership says that the police post “is too close” to the ‘territory of South Ossetia (Tskhinvali), posing security threats for our population.’
- Russia recognized the two Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali as independent states after the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.
- Only Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria have declared the regions as independent republics so far.
- The rest of the international community says that the regions are occupied by Russia.
De facto authorities of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region has temporarily opened the crossing point between occupied Akhalgori district and the rest of Georgia for pensioners only after an almost five-month closure, which has created a severe humanitarian situation on the ground. Local civic activist Tamar Mearakishvili reports that the crossing point opened earlier today for pensioners “whose only income is the pension issued by the central government” of Georgia.
The US is concerned by current developments at the occupation line, near the village of Chorchana, acting US Ambassador to Georgia Elisabeth Rood has stated earlier today, referring to the erection of new barriers by Russian-controlled occupation forces at the village of Chorchana, Khashuri municipality, on the Tbilisi-controlled territory earlier this month.
De facto President of Georgia’s Russian-controlled Tskhinvali region Anatoly Bibilov has stated that he is against the reopening of crossing points with the rest of Georgia which have been closed since September 2019 and which has created a severe humanitarian situation on the ground.
Acting US Ambassador to Georgia Elisabeth Rood has addressed the Russian-controlled occupation forces to open crossing points between Tskhinvali region and the rest of Georgia and “allow locals to live without fear.”
Tamar Gigauri, 60, who received heavy injuries after falling into a well of seven meters deep in Georgia’s Russian-controlled Akhalgori district in early November of 2019 has only today been allowed to leave the district to receive necessary treatment on the Tbilisi-administered territory.
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili said yesterday that the closure of the Akhalgori crossing point connecting the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region, with the rest of Georgia “is yet another violation of human rights”.
De facto president of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region Anatoly Bibilov has signed a degree on restoring the Soviet-era name of Stalinir for the region’s main town of Tskhinvali.
The de facto authorities of the Russian-occupied Akhalgori municipality in central Georgia have opened crossings to the location over the administrative boundary line separating Georgian-controlled territory from the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region, Interpressnews reported on Thursday.
Marek Szczygieł, the Head of the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia, on Thursday welcomed the temporary opening of the Odzisi crossing point into central Georgia's Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region by the de facto authorities for the Orthodox Easter celebrations.