State Security Service reports illegal activities on occupied territories

The State Security Service of Georgia has reported “illegal destructive activities” observed in the occupied territories near the central Georgian village of Mejvriskhevi, adjacent to the administrative boundary line separating the government-controlled territory from the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region.

The agency did not specify the activities, but also did not confirm they amounted to illegal ‘borderisation’ - a periodic shifting of the de-facto boundary by occupying forces - in the vicinity of the village.

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The state service said the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) had been informed of the observations, in addition to the activation of a dedicated hotline used for occurrences and incidents along the administrative boundary.

Locals of the village recently reported the installation of so-called “border signs” by the occupation forces along the separation line running in the village.

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The former so-called “border” ran one kilometre from the village cemetery. Now the white bands are tied to the trees and bushes near the cemetery, from Kirbali to Mejvriskhevi. My and my neighbour's house might end up on the occupied side, [as might a] part of the cemetery,” Nodar Zangurashvili, a resident of the village, said.

Since its deployment in 2008, the EUMM has monitored areas adjacent to the de-facto lines separating the occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali.