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Statement of Human Rights Center regarding the Illegal Actions of Border Guards of the Russian Federation along the Dividing Line of South Ossetia

April 19, 2020
 
On April 15, 2020, the representatives of the occupant power, Russian Federation, illegally detained grandchild of Data Vanishvili, elderly man who lives in the occupied part of the village Khurvaleti, Gori Municipality, Georgia. The detention took place in Data Vanishvili’s house. The detained young man was taken to Tskhinvali to the temporary detention facility. On April 16, his wife was also illegally detained and taken to Tskhinvali.
 
The border guards of the Russian Federation erected barbed wires in the village Khurvaleti in 2012. As a result, Data Vanishvili’s house was caught inside the occupied territory. Since then, 88-year-old Data Vanishvili who lives with his elderly wife beyond barbed wires, has been unduly restricted to contact and interact with his family members and freely move in the territory of Georgia. Data Vanishvili has been restricted to access medical services, pension and his agricultural land which remained on the Georgian central government- controlled territory after the village was divided in half by the barbed wires. Approximately 2 months ago, Data Vanishvili’s elderly wife, who needed urgent medical help, was passed through the barbed wires, by lowering the stretcher which she was lying on, by the help of the ambulance doctors in order to receive medical help on the territory controlled by the central government of Georgia.
 
Data Vanishvili’s grandchild and his wife crossed dividing line on April 15 to visit their elderly grandfather.
 
Amid the spread of the global pandemic, novel coronavirus, when the state resources are maximally mobilized to combat the spread of the disease, the occupant power continues arbitrary detentions as well as illegal borderization in the territory of Georgia and thus violating fundamental human rights and freedoms.
 
According to the information disseminated on April 17, the border guards of the Russian Federation have been carrying out illegal borderization in Kareli municipality, in the villages Takhtisdziri and Dirbi for about a week as of now. Specifically, the Russian border guards put up fences in preparation of erecting barbed wires that took away approximately 15 hectares of the agricultural land which was cultivated by the local population and it was their main source of income. According to the information provided by the local residents, they have been cultivating this land for a long time, but now lost access to it. The locals do not have other sources of income. They are afraid that as a result of erecting fences, their houses will also be caught inside the occupied territory. The border guards of the Russian Federation carried out similar actions in 2019 – after they put up new fences and erected barbed wires in the village Gugutiantkari, the houses of two local residents and their agricultural land which was their main source of income was caught inside the occupied territory. As a result, the owners had to dismantle their houses and bring the parts over to the Georgian central government-controlled territory in the time limit set by the Russian border guards.
 
Human Rights Center condemns illegal actions exercised by the border guards of the Russian Federation in the Georgian territory that violates multiple fundamental human rights, including liberty and security, freedom of movement, respect for private and family life and right to property. These rights are guaranteed by the international human rights conventions. Human Rights Center calls on the Russian Federation to stop illegal borderization and mass human rights violations along the dividing line of South Ossetia. Human Rights Center also calls on the Georgian government to activate its efforts in order to better inform the international society regarding ongoing human rights violations and request reaction.

Human Rights Center

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