Tbilisi strongly condemns occupied Tskhinvali’s involvement in Russian parliamentary elections

Tbilisi has strongly condemned the opening of about 20 polling stations in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region for the September 19 Duma elections of Russia, stating that the step is an ‘obvious example’ of annexation. 

The Georgian Foreign Ministry says that Russia ‘once again violated the international law’ and urged the international community to give a ‘due response’ to the country’s illegal activities in Georgia. 

The fact that the residents of Georgia’s Tskhinvali region are electing Russian MP for Voronezh, Leningrad, Samara Oblast and Transbaikal is clearly pointing at Russia’s annexation policy to the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali,” said the ministry. 

According to preliminary reports more than 25,000 individuals participated in Russian elections from Georgian Tskhinvali and Abkhazia regions. 

Georgia says that starting in the 2000s Russia forced locals of the occupied regions to receive Russian passports and that because of the occupation of the territories thousands of IDPs are unable to return to their homes. 

The ministry says that the recent judgement of the European Court of Human Rights also shifted whole responsibility onto Russia for human rights violations in the regions, saying that ‘Russia is exercising effective control’ on Abkhazia and Tskhinvali. 

The barbed-wire-fences erected by occupation forces in central Georgia. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.

Tbilisi also condemned an agreement signed between Russia and Tskhinvali ‘on dual citizenship’ yesterday which allows the residents of Tskhinvali to receive Russian citizenship without losing ‘South Ossetian’ citizenship. 

Georgia has called on Russia to withdraw its forces from the country’s territory. 

Russia recognised Abkhazia and Tskhinvali as independent states after the Russia-Georgia 2008 war. 

Since then only Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria have joined Russia in the recognition, while the rest of the international community call upon the country to leave the Georgian territory.