April 10 declared day of mourning in Georgia for death of occupied Gali residents
Four individuals from the occupied Gali district drowned in the Enguri River on April 7. Photo: RFE/RL.
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Flags on all government buildings across Georgia and diplomatic missions abroad will be flying at half staff tomorrow because of the death of four individuals of the country’s Russian-occupied Gali district of Abkhazia.
Two men and two women drowned in the Enguri River on April 7 while trying to cross onto Tbilisi-controlled territory from the Gali district.
Locals have told journalists that the individuals wanted to buy everyday items and medicines on Tbilisi-controlled territory which are either absent or expensive in Abkhazia.
They also said that the Russian-controlled occupation forces ran after individuals with dogs and the four were forced to enter the river.
Locals say that they have to use alternative and dangerous ways to enter Tbilisi-controlled territory from the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region. Photo: RFE/RL.
The de facto leaderships of Georgia’s two Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions frequently close the so-called checkpoints to the rest of Georgia due to different reasons which sparks serious humanitarian difficulties in the regions because the locals can buy everyday items and receive quality medical assistance only on the Tbilisi-controlled territory.
Currently locals are able to leave the Abkhazia region only with a special pass which costs 1,000 roubles (45 GEL, 13 USD).
Locals say that they live in poverty and in some cases are unable to pay for the pass which pushes them to use alternative ways to move to others regions of the country.
They also state that a five-day coronavirus quarantine on the Tbilisi-controlled territory is also problematic for them.
The United States Embassy in Georgia extends ‘heartfelt condolences’ to the family and friends of the Georgians who died yesterday attempting to cross the Enguri River to get from the Russian-occupied Abkhazia region to the Tbilisi-controlled territory.
“The tragic incident near the occupation line once again shows the real face of the Russian occupation… This is a great human tragedy for which the Russian Federation is held fully responsible”, said Georgian Reconciliation Minister Tea Akhvlediani while expressing her condolences over the tragic death of the three Georgian citizens.
Rescuers have found a body of a fourth individual who was trying to cross onto territory controlled by the central government of Georgia from Russian-occupied Gali through the Enguri River. The body was found on the banks of the river Enguri, in the village of Orsantia of Zugdidi Municipality.
On the initiative of the President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili, Davit Vanishvili, who has become a symbol of the resistance and fight against the Russian occupation, will be awarded the medal of Civil Dedication, announces the presidential administration.
Georgian national flags are flying at half-mast today at all government buildings across the country in mourning of four Georgian citizens who died attempting to cross the Enguri River to travel from Russian-occupied Abkhazia region to Tbilisi-controlled territory.
Police have detained six individuals during clashes which occurred between activists and law enforcers in front of the ‘Supreme Council of Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia’ earlier today.
Starting April 19, the residents of Russian-occupied Georgian territories will have to take Covid-19 rapid tests instead of 5-day quarantine, announces the government of Georgia.
The Georgian government has opened two testing tents near Enguri Bridge crossing point where residents of Russia-occupied Abkhazia region will be able to undergo coronavirus testing before entering Tbilisi-controlled territory.