De facto Abkhazia restricts movement to Tbilisi-controlled territory ahead of run-offs
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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.
The Enguri bridge crossing point will be closed between October 28 and 30. Only individuals in need of urgent medical care will be allowed to cross into the Tbilisi-controlled territory while the restriction is in force.
The closure of the crossing point causes serious problems for locals, who buy everyday items and receive medical care in the Tbilisi-controlled territory.
The Georgian State Security Service says the de facto government frequently ‘invents reasons’ to make ‘such illegal decisions’, which further aggravates a severe humanitarian situation in the region.
The agency has already informed the European Union Monitoring Mission of the issue.
Russia recognized the Georgian regions of Tskhinvali and Abkhazia as independent countries in the wake of the Russia-Georgia war of 2008.
Only Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria have given further recognition so far.
The rest of the international community says the regions are occupied by Russia and urges the latter to withdraw its troops.
United States Acting Deputy Chief of Mission to the OSCE Elisabeth Rosenstock-Siller said in her address to the Permanent Council on Thursday that the US condemns the recent sentencing of Georgian citizen Zaza Gakheladze in Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region.
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.
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. 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.
The de facto authorities of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region say that they detained 38 individuals last month for ‘illegally crossing the border’, while the figure stood at 19 in July. The de facto authorities stated that 22 of the 38 individuals were fined, while others were able to leave Tskhinvali territory without paying a fine.