Int’l community ‘strongly condemns’ Zaza Gakheladze’s detention, demand his ‘immediate release’
The Georgian Foreign Ministry has called on the international community to ‘take genuine steps’ to secure the release of Zaza Gakheladze. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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The international community condemns the sentencing of Georgian citizen Zaza Gakheladze in the Russian-occupied Georgian region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), calling for his immediate release.
Gakheladze, who was shot and illegally detained by Russian-controlled occupation forces last year, was sentenced to 12 years and six months on Friday.
The Estonian Foreign Ministry has tweeted:
Estonia???????? strongly condemns the decision of the occupation regime in Tskhinvali to extend the illegal detention of #GE ????????citizen Zaza Gakheladze by 12+ years. According to 21 Jan #ECHR judgement, #Russia bears responsibility for grave #humanrights violations. pic.twitter.com/65V3KHNu2x
— Estonian MFA ???????? (@MFAestonia) February 5, 2021
The Georgian Foreign Ministry has called on the international community to ‘take genuine steps’ to secure the release of Gakheladze.
The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry has also tweeted:
???????? MFA strongly condemns sentencing of #Georgia's citizen Zaza Gakheladze by so-called court of Russian controlled South Ossetia. This is in clear breach of 2008 ceasefire agreement and #ECHRjudgment of 21 Jan 2021. ???????? remains committed to ???????? sovereignty & territorial integrity. https://t.co/pBMlamVNiF
— Lithuania MFA (@LithuaniaMFA) February 6, 2021
Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations Sergiy Kyslytsya has also denounced 'shameless actions of the Russian occupation forces'.
Shameless actions of the Russian occupation forces should be duly rebuked by the @UN_HRC and @mbachelet or impunity will persevere indefinitely amid international complacency. Our solidarity with @kahaimnadze and his team in NY https://t.co/hROm9TRzQY
— Sergiy Kyslytsya (@SergiyKyslytsya) February 6, 2021
The World Chairman of the International Human Rights Commission, Ambassador Dr. Muhammad Shahid Amin Khan, has also joined the appeal to immediate release the Georgian citizen.
International Human Rights Commission #IHRC as intergovernmental organization also joining the appeal to immediate release of Zaza #Gakheladze and asking international community to act faster to stop Russian aggression on people freedoms.
— Ambassador Dr. Muhammad Shahid Amin Khan (@DrMShahidAKhan) February 5, 2021
Yesterday Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia requested support the Head of the European Union Delegation Carl Hartzell and United States Ambassador Kelly Degnan to secure Gakheladze's release.
Meanwhile a protest rally was held today held along the occupation line with the participants calling on the Georgian government to make more efficient steps aimed to ensure immediate release of the illegal detainee.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has met with the Head of the EU Delegation Carl Hartzell and US Ambassador Kelly Degnan requesting support to secure the release of Georgian citizen Zaza Gakheladze who has been recently sentenced in occupied Tskhinvali.
The European Union calls for the immediate release of Georgian citizen Zaza Gakheladze, who was sentenced to 12 years and six months in the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region yesterday. The United States Embassy also expresses solidarity with Zaza Gakheladze and his family, and all families ‘who have had to endure Russia’s oppressive occupation’.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry has called on the international community to ‘take genuine steps’ to secure the release of Georgian citizen Zaza Gakheladze, who was shot and illegally detained by the Russian controlled occupation forces last year and sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison earlier today.
Georgian citizen Zaza Gakheladze, who was shot and illegally detained by Russian-controlled occupation forces in the summer of 2020, has been sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison by the de facto Supreme Court of the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region.
The United Kingdom and Norway have joined the calls of foreign states for the ‘immediate release’ of illegally convicted Georgian citizen Zaza Gakheladze by Russian-controlled occupation forces.
One Georgian citizen has been detained, while another has been sent to illegal pretrial detention by the Russian-controlled de facto government of Tskhinvali, the Georgian State Security Service reports.
The Georgian State Security Service says that illegal detention of Georgian citizens by the Russian-controlled occupation forces for so-called ‘illegally crossing the border’ is a common issue since Russia-Georgia 2008.
Georgian citizen Erik Drulev, illegally detained in the Russian-occupied region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) earlier this week, has been released from prison. The State Security Service of Georgia has announced earlier today that Drulev, 20, was detained by the occupying forces close to the Roki tunnel on February 5.
Russian occupation of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and Abkhazia regions was the main threat and challenge for Georgia in 2020, the 2020 report of the Georgian State Security Service reads.
Georgian citizen Lasha Khetereli, who was illegally detained by the occupation forces close to the Russian-occupied Georgian region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) a year ago, has been released.
The de facto government of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region has temporarily closed the only checkpoint to the Tbilisi-controlled territory ahead of municipal election run-offs on Saturday.