Flags at half-mast to mourn occupied Gali residents who drowned in Enguri River
Prime Minister Irakli Garibahsvili declared April 10 as a mourning day after the recent tragic accident in the occupied Gali district. Photo: PM’s press office
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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.
Two men and two women drowned in the Enguri River yesterday while trying to cross onto Tbilisi-controlled territory from the Gali district to purchase everyday items and medicines which are either absent or expensive in occupied Abkhazia.
Photo: Parliament of Georgia/Facebook
Locals told journalists that the four individuals were forced to enter the river after the Russia-backed occupying forces ran after them with dogs.
Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has tweeted:
National flag is half-mast at ???????? MFA & our country's embassies abroad, as today ???????? mourns t/tragic loss of 4 citizens in t/Enguri river, which is another vivid example of devastating results of ???????? #occupation & #violence of human rights. Our thoughts are W families of deceased. pic.twitter.com/UGFnfgB09T
— David Zalkaliani (@DZalkaliani) April 10, 2021
Head of the European Union delegation to Georgia Carl Hartzell has also tweeted:
Today we mourn four lives being tragically lost in the Enguri river.
— Carl Hartzell (@CarlHartzellEU) April 10, 2021
Our thoughts are with their families & loved ones.
A deeply sad reminder of the consequences of freedom of movement restrictions & of the need to immediately increase cooperation & conflict resolution efforts. pic.twitter.com/2GDwhqcNen
Georgian citizens residing in the Russian-occupied regions face a number of restrictions from the de facto officials of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali including the closure of the so-called checkpoints connecting the regions with the rest of Georgia, causing security and humanitarian troubles.
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.
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.
Georgian Prime Minister Minister Irakli Garibashvili has responded to the recent death of four individuals from the country’s Russian-occupied Gali district and stated that the ‘occupation regime will definitely be held accountable for all its illegal actions in Georgia.’
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has stated that the Russian-controlled occupation forces are responsible for the death of individuals who drowned in the river of Enguri while trying to cross into Tbilisi-controlled territory from the Russian occupied Gali district of Georgia. The bodies of two 30 and 38-year old women and a 65-year-old man were found earlier today, while the husband of one of the deceased women is still missing.
Chargé d’Affaires of the United States to the OSCE Courtney Austrian has expressed the ‘heartfelt condolences’ of the US to the family and friends of the four Georgians who died attempting to cross the Enguri River on April 7.