Release of illegally detained Georgian citizen, ‘borderisation,’ Covid-19 remain in focus of IPRM meeting
The EUMM in Georgia was established on 15 September 2008 after the Russia-Georgia war to monitor the EU-brokered ceasefire 6-Point agreement between the countries, however, the mission has no access to the occupied territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia). Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The release of Georgian citizen Gela Gochoshvili who was detained by the Russian occupation forces several months ago, and the illegal ‘borderisation’ process remained at the top of agenda of the 103th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) which was held in Ergneti earlier today.
The meeting participants also discussed the impact of the closure of crossing points and the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus Ambassador Annika Soder praised the participants’ commitment to engage in regular exchange in the IPRM format and called on them ‘to apply a pragmatic and humanitarian approach during the upcoming holiday season.’
The co-facilitators also stressed the importance of continued dialogue and called for mutually acceptable solutions that uphold humanitarian principles and human rights, and that respond positively to the needs of the conflict-affected population living on both sides of the ABL,” the the European Union Monitoring mission (EUMM) reports.
This #IPRM meeting is now over. Participants discussed the impact of the closure of crossing points, most recent security developments, detention cases and the consequences of the pandemic. Next meeting was agreed for 20 January 2022. Read more:https://t.co/JIzAHLivN5 pic.twitter.com/6lTJkcLp8X
— EUMM Georgia (@EUMMGeorgia) November 18, 2021
The Democracy Research Institute (DRI) says that the pandemic is being used by the de facto government of Tskhinvali to isolate the region from Tbilisi, noting that the local hospital in Tskhinvali region ‘is declared a red zone as there is an ‘unfavourable environment for human life and health’.
The issue of Genadi Bestaev, who was illegally arrested in November 2019 and released recently after the deterioration of his health, has also been discussed at the meeting.
51-year-old Bestaev currently is in a coma after having a stroke and is undergoing treatment in Tbilisi.
During the meeting, attention was drawn to the Women, Peace and Security agenda and how this could further be integrated into the IPRM format,” the EUMM adds.
The IPRM meetings in Ergneti is co-facilitated by the EUMM and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
The EUMM in Georgia was established on 15 September 2008 after the Russia-Georgia war to monitor the EU-brokered ceasefire 6-Point agreement between the countries, however, the mission has no access to the occupied territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
The EUMM’s mandate originally was authorised for a year but since then it has been extended eight times.
Georgian citizen Genadi Bestaev, 51, who was illegally detained and then convicted by Russian-controlled occupation forces near his home back in 2019, is now in coma after having a stroke in Tskhinvali prison on November 15 and only after the de facto government of Tskhinvali accepted his transportation to the Tbilisi-controlled territory.
The Democracy Research Institute (DRI) has called on the Georgian authorities to immediately draw up an effective plan to manage the difficult epidemiological situation in Georgia’s Russia-occupied Tskhinvali region.
The European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia is marking 13 years since its establishment. EUMM was established after the Russia-Georgia 2008 war to monitor the EU-brokered ceasefire 6-Point agreement between the countries, but the mission has no access to the occupied territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
The unconditional release of Georgian citizens illegally detained by occupation forces has been at the top of the agenda of the 101st meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM), which was held today in Ergneti, close to the Russian occupied region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia). The issue of releasing Zaza Gakheladze and Genadi Bestaev, who are illegally detained in a prison in Tskhinvali, was discussed at the meeting.
Georgian State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality Tea Akhvlediani has stated that more than 800 people infected with coronavirus have undergone treatment on Tbilisi-controlled territory since the beginning of the pandemic.
Illegally arrested Georgian citizen Gela Gochoshvili has been released from prison in Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region, the Georgian State Security Service reported earlier today.
Russian occupation forces have illegally arrested two Georgian citizens near Gremiskhevi village in Dusheti municipality, the Georgian State Security Service reported earlier this evening.
The Russian occupation forces carried out various types of unlawful activities, including illegal ‘borderisation’, throughout the month of January along the de-facto boundary line separating the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region from the government-controlled territory, Georgia’s State Security Service (SSS) has announced.
Georgian citizen Genadi Bestaev, who was illegally arrested and imprisoned by the occupation forces in control of central Georgia’s Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region before his release due to health conditions, died in a Tbilisi clinic earlier on Wednesday.
The Georgian State Security Service officials have demanded “unconditional release” of Georgian citizens illegally arrested by the Russian occupation forces, during the latest meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism in the central Georgian village of Ergneti, the state agency said on Tuesday.
The forces carrying out occupation of central Georgia’s Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region were observed in 130 cases of illegal ‘borderisation’ on the administrative boundary throughout 2021, while nine such incidents noted along the boundary separating the occupied northwestern Abkhazia from the Georgian territory, the annual report of the Georgian State Security Service said.
Georgian citizen Vladimer Kaniashvili, who was illegally detained by Russian occupation forces near the occupied region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), was released on Tuesday, the State Security Service said.