Georgian Public Defender says right to life remains “serious challenge” in Russian-occupied territories

Georgian Public Defender Levan Ioseliani on Wednesday told the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva the right to life remained a “serious challenge” in the Russian-occupied territories of Georgia. 

Speaking at a session of the Council, Ioseliani noted cases of alleged torture and murder of Georgian citizens in the occupied Abkhazia region and Akhalgori district of the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region had not yet been “properly investigated” and no perpetrators punished.

The Public Defender’s office said the official noted illegal arrests by occupation forces, negative consequences of the prohibition of education in the Georgian language in the Russian-occupied Gali district of Abkhazia, and the need to restore access of international non-governmental and donor organisations to the occupied regions.

He said Russia was responsible for human rights violations in the occupied regions throug its maintenance of effective political, economic and military control over them. 

Once again, I express deep concern about the created situation and call on the international community to use all possible formats to force the Russian Federation to allow the full and unrestricted access of international observers to the occupied territories of Georgia”, Ioseliani told the Council.

As part of the session, a presentation of the report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights was hosted in connection with the resolution of the Human Rights Council on cooperation with Georgia.