President Zurabishvili calls on int’l community to react to the violation of humanitarian principles in Russian-occupied Tskhinvali
In her letters President Zurabishvili called upon the international community to ‘react through all possible means to such violation of elementary humanitarian principles’. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili has called upon the international community to react to the violation of elementary humanitarian principles in the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region after the confiscation and prohibition of Georgian-labeled medicines from the occupied territory.
On February 17, 2020, Radio Liberty reported that two pharmacies in the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region had a number of Georgian-labeled medicines confiscated by the de-facto Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tskhinvali region.
Zurabishvili sent a written appeal to Dunja Mijatović, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Tedros Abhanom Ghebreyesus, the Secretary General of the World Health Organisation.
The de facto Tskhinvali regime is directly violating the right to healthcare, the right to life, the right to movement. I’m calling on the int’l community, @DrTedros, @mbachelet, @Dunja_Mijatovic, to react through all possible means to these violations of humanitarian principles. pic.twitter.com/QS7a3g6AoR
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) February 19, 2020
In her letters Zurabishvili called upon the international community to ‘react through all possible means to such violation of elementary humanitarian principles’.
The president also mentioned that the de-facto Tskhinvali closed crossing points between the region and the rest of Georgia, which is causing a humanitarian crisis.
Closed crossing point deprives the local population the opportunity to travel to the Georgia-controlled territory, collect pension and purchase required medications. Such decisions directly obstruct the right to healthcare, right to life and right to movement”, reads the official letter.
The de-facto government of Tskhinvali has closed crossing points between the region and the rest of Georgia in September 2019, depriving locals of access to everyday items, quality medical aid and other necessities they received on Tbilisi-administered territory.
Local media reports that there is not enough food in Georgia’s Russian-controlled Tskhinvali region, with dairy products and children’s food in particular deficit. Media outlet Rec reports that food has not entered from Russia into the region for more than a week due to certain, technicnical problems and the local ‘de facto authorities are holding talks to resolve the problem.’
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”.
Georgian Foreign Ministry David Zalkaliani has stated that the humanitarian crisis in Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions [of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali] is one of the major challenges for the government, responding to the recent death of a woman in Tskhinvali due to the closed ‘checkpoint” with the breakaway region. He again raised the issue while meeting with the US Department of States Special Envoy and Coordinator of the Global Engagement Center Lea Gabrielle earlier today.
Two pharmacies in the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region had a number of Georgian-labeled medicines confiscated by the de-facto Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tskhinvali region, reports Radio Liberty.
Medicines imported from Georgia have again been confiscated from a pharmacy in the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region by the de-facto Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tskhinvali region, reports RES news agency.
President Salome Zurabishvili says that 'we might want to think about new steps to be taken and new positions to present with our partners or with Russia'. However, she states that these must not be the steps of concession or adoption to occupation. Delivering her annual speech at parliament earlier today, Zurabishvili said that any issue, which will not and should not be forcibly settled, ‘needs carriage, reason, advancement [through drawing red lines] and unity to be settled.’
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani says that the restoration of relations with Russia is possible only after the country withdraws its forces from Georgian territory.