President Zurabishvili Addresses Intl Community over Situation in Occupied Tskhinvali

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has called on the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet Jeria; and the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, “to react through all possible means” to the “violations of humanitarian principles” in the Russia-occupied Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia.

The de facto Tskhinvali regime is directly violating the right to healthcare, the right to life, the right to movement. I’m calling on the int’l community, @DrTedros, @mbachelet, @Dunja_Mijatovic, to react through all possible means to these violations of humanitarian principles. pic.twitter.com/QS7a3g6AoR

— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) February 19, 2020

In particular, President Zurabishvili referred to the recent seizure by Moscow-backed Tskhinvali officials of the Tbilisi-produced and labeled medicines, which, according to Zurabishvili is “creating serious deficit of drugs, especially for pensioners.” “The situation on the ground is deteriorating continuously. In addition to the constant moving of the barbwires, closure of the crossing point aggravates the humanitarian situation for the local population, President Zurabishvili said.

She also added that the crossing points connecting the region with Georgia proper, which have been closed since last September, deprive the local population of opportunity to travel to the Tbilisi-controlled territory, collect pension and purchase required medications. “Such decisions directly obstruct the right to healthcare, right to life and right to movement,” the Georgian President stated.

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