Georgian MFA Decries Shooting, Detaining its Citizen by Russia’s Occupation Forces
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia said on July 11 that it “categorically condemns” the fact of shooting, wounding, and illegal detention of a Georgian citizen by the Russian occupation forces, as another dangerous provocation by the Russian Federation.
Georgian MFA said the fact that occurred near the Tskhinvali occupation line earlier on July 11 aimed at escalating and destabilizing the situation on the ground in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Opening fire on the local peaceful civilian by the Russian occupation forces is another vivid example of Russia’s gross violation of the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement, and full disregard of the UN Secretary-General’s call for a global ceasefire amid the coronavirus pandemic,” highlighted the Georgian Foreign Ministry.
Georgian MFA maintained that “such a provocation by the Russian occupation forces, which are illegally deployed in the heart of Georgia’s territory and grossly violate the fundamental rights and freedoms of the local population, once again demonstrates the necessity of establishment of international security mechanisms in the occupied regions.”
The Ministry said it demands the immediate handover of the wounded and illegally detained citizen of Georgia to the Georgian authorities.
It called upon the Russian authorities to ensure unrestricted access of international humanitarian and human rights organizations to the occupied territories of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia, and start the unconditional implementation of the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 Ceasefire Agreement.
The Georgian MFA appealed to the international community “to give a strong assessment” to the illegal actions of the Russian occupation forces and to take immediate measures to counter “the ongoing provocations against the Georgian state.”
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