CoE uses term ‘Russian-occupation’ in regards to Georgian occupied regions
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said that the latest document by CoE on the Russia-Georgia conflict is ‘unprecedented.’ Photo: Getty Images.
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For the first time the Council of Europe has used the term ‘occupation’ in regards to Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali in its eighth document on the Russian-Georgian conflict.
In the document, the CoE welcomed the recent judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case Georgia v. Russia that ‘established the responsibility of Russia for grave human rights violations during the period of occupation of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali following the August 2008 war, as the state exercising effective control over those regions’.
Georgian FM David Zalkaliani has stated that the document is ‘unprecedented and of the utmost importance’ because the term ‘occupation’ has been used for the first time on the executive level of international organisations.
????????MFA welcomes t/@coe CM's 8th decision on "T/CoE & Conflict in????????". It defines????????'s responsibility of occupying???????? regions of #Abkhazia & #Tskhinvali. It expresses concern over severe violation of #humanrights on t/ground & impunity around t/death of victims of t/occupation regime.
— MFA of Georgia (@MFAgovge) May 12, 2021
The document also said that Russia continues to install razor and barbed wire fences and other artificial obstacles along the occupation line, divide families and communities, violate human rights and fundamental freedoms and impede the settlement of the conflict.
According to the document, the closure of so-called crossing points between the occupied regions and the rest of Georgia amid the pandemic further complicated the severe humanitarian situation on the ground.
CoE expressed ‘grave concern’ over the illegal detention of Georgian citizen Zaza Gakheladze by occupation forces, as well as over impunity concerning the deaths of Georgian IDPs David Basharuli, Giga Otkhozoria, Archil Tatunashvili and Irakli Kvaratskhelia.
Today’s @coe decision welcomes @ECHR_CEDH judgment that established RUS responsibility for violations during the period of #occupation
— Shalva Tsiskarashvili (@tsiskarashvili) May 12, 2021
The decision reiterates support for #Georgia’s ???????? sovereignty, territorial integrity & calls upon RUS ???????? to fulfill the 2008 Ceasefire Agrmt pic.twitter.com/WvlI9AO7CR
CoE has called upon Russia, ‘which exercise effective control’ over Georgian occupied regions, to:
- Create conditions for the voluntary, safe and dignified return of all IDPs and refugees.
- Cease any form of ethnic discrimination towards the residents of the Georgian regions.
- Remove any obstacles to ending impunity in cases concerning the murder of ethnic Georgians in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia.
- Immediately cease policies leading to human rights violations in both regions of Georgia;
- Remove any impediment, restriction or limitation to the right to freedom of movement across occupation lines, including for medical and educational purposes.
- Cease arbitrary detentions of persons, including in the context of so-called “illegal border crossing” and to re-open “crossing points.”
- Immediately release Gakheladze and all other illegal detainees;
- Cease violations of the right to education in schools and preschools, including education in the native Georgian language in both Georgian regions;
- Prevent further deterioration of monuments belonging to the cultural heritage throughout Georgia’s regions;
- Execute the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case Georgia v. Russian Federation (II).
Russia is ready to participate in discussions over its obligation of paying €10 million in compensation to Georgian citizens who were illegally deported from Russia back in 2006, Georgian Justice Minister Gocha Lortkipanidze stated earlier today. The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled in January 2019 that Russia must pay out the compensation. However, Russia has refused to do so.
Georgia has won the 2008 war case against Russia in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The court released its judgement earlier today which says that Russia violated several articles of the European Convention on Human rights during the conflict and carried out ethnic cleansing of Georgians. The court said that Russia is carrying out an effective control of Georgia’s Tskhinvali and Abkhazia regions and is responsible for the violation of human rights of Georgian citizens.
Georgian Justice Ministry has reported that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe will again discuss how Russia implements the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights, which obliged the country to pay a €10 million fine to Georgian citizens illegally deported in 2006.
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe says that Russia has an “unconditional obligation” to fulfill the verdict of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and pay €10 million to Georgian citizens illegally deported in 2006. The Committee of Ministers says that Russia must also pay default interest accrued because of the delay of the payment.
The Georgian government has established a commission to create a Georgian State Strategy for Deoccupation and Peaceful Conflict Resolution. The commission will be managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The commission will be set up with public involvement, and will develop an inclusive and comprehensive state strategy by the end of the year.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia has appealed for "essential effort" from the international community in the process of ending the ongoing occupation of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions of Georgia, in a release on the eve of the 13th anniversary of the occupation.