US State Department human rights report highlights violations in Russian-occupied Abkhazia, Tskhinvali regions

Human rights violations in the Russian-occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) have been highlighted in the annual Report on Human Rights Practices of the United States Department of State, with the report released on Tuesday.

The report lists significant human rights issues in Russian-occupied regions of Georgia, such as unlawful detentions, restrictions on movement - especially of ethnic Georgians - restrictions on voting and other types of participation in the political process, and restrictions on the ability of ethnic Georgians to own property or register businesses.

While there was little official information on the human rights and humanitarian situation in South Ossetia, de facto authorities refused to permit most ethnic Georgians driven out by the 2008 conflict to return to their homes in South Ossetia. De facto authorities did not allow most international organizations regular access to South Ossetia to provide humanitarian assistance,” the report noted.

The Department of State also highlighted the process of ‘borderisation’ along the administrative boundary lines - the practice of the Russian occupation forces periodically moving the boundary into the Georgian-controlled territory - had increased, further restricting movement and separating residents from their communities and livelihoods. 

Russian and de facto authorities in both regions committed abuses with impunity,” the report concludes.