UN Security Council members condemn Russia’s annexation of Georgian regions in lead up to 13th anniversary of 2008 war
The joint statement once again calls on Russia ‘to fully implement its obligation and commitments under the Agreements of 12 August.’ Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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UN Security Council Member countries have condemned ‘Russia’s illegal military presence’ and annexation of Georgian regions in the run up to the 13th anniversary of the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.
Estonia, France, Ireland, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States and Albania (incoming Security Council Member country) have expressed their unwavering support for ‘Georgia’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.’
We regret that the territorial integrity of Georgia continues to be violated by the Russian Federation,” reads the statement.
The joint statement also says that despite the ongoing pandemic Russia continues its provocations on occupied Georgian regions, such as:
- reinforced military presence and military exercises on Georgia’s territory.
- intensified borderisation process.
- arbitrary detentions.
- local population members’ kidnappings.
- restriction of freedom of movement.
- discrimination against ethnic Georgians in Georgia's Russian-occupied Gali and Akhalgori districts.
- prohibition on education in residents’ native language.
UN Security Council Members called on the immediate release of Irakli Bebua who was illegally sentenced to nine years of imprisonment for burning the flag of the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region in late 2020 and ‘other citizens of Georgia still unjustly held in detention.’
Media Statement on #Georgia by ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
— NorwayUN (@NorwayUN) August 4, 2021
We reaffirm our unwavering support for Georgia’s independence, sovereignty&territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
We regret that the territorial integrity of #Georgia continues to be violated.
Text⤵️ pic.twitter.com/hllxceJAd8
The statement also recalled the judgment of the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on January 21, 2021, noting that ‘Russia has been responsible for grave human rights violations including the killing of civilians’ in the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
We remain deeply worried that in the past several years no international human rights monitoring mechanism has been granted unrestricted access to the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” the joint statement says.
UN Security Council also stressed the importance of various international negotiating platforms such as Geneva International Discussions (GID) and the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms (IPRMs) which ‘address the security, humanitarian and human rights challenges stemming from the unresolved Russia-Georgia conflict.’
The joint statement once again calls on Russia ‘to fully implement its obligation and commitments under the Agreements of 12 August.’
We [UN Security Council] call once again on the Russian Federation … to withdraw its military and security forces without delay and reverse its recognition of the so-called independence of Georgia’s territories Abkhazia and South Ossetia (Tskhinvali region),” UN Security Council countries stated.
Russia-Georgia war began in early August of 2008 and led to the occupation of 20 per cent of Georgia.
The de facto Foreign Ministry of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region says that the early release of Georgian citizen Irakli Bebua, who was illegally sentenced to nine years in prison back in December 2020, is ‘not on the agenda.’
Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a bill proposed by the country’s Foreign Ministry ‘to resolve dual citizenship issues’ with Georgia’s occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region. The agreement, which was signed for a lenght of five years and which will automatically prolong after the expiration of the term, offers simplified procedures for obtaining Russian citizenship and dual citizenship for the residents of Georgia’s occupied Tskhinvali region.
The United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on Georgia at its 43rd session in Geneva, yesterday, reiterating its support for the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, condemning Russia’s actions in Georgia’s occupied regions and praising the efforts of the Georgian government to strengthen democracy.
The Georgian parliament has adopted a resolution on de-occupation and peaceful resolution of territorial conflicts to once again urge Russia to withdraw its forces from Georgian territory and request stronger support from the international community.
Gvaram Khandamishvili, the charge d'Affaires of Georgia to the United Nations, on Tuesday delivered a national statement within the UN Security Council’s annual open debate on Children and Armed Conflict, highlighting Russia continued to violate fundamental rights of the conflict-affected children in the Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions of Georgia.