Painful issue with de facto and occupant forces

The 43rd Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meeting was held in Gali, Abkhazia, on February 22, where representatives from the government of Georgia raised several painful issues and re-voiced their demands to the de facto and occupant forces.

Georgia once again demanded the arrest of the citizen of Abkhazia who killed Georgian Giga Otkhozoria on territory controlled by Georgia, in May 2016.

The alleged murderer, Rashid Kanji Oghli, was not held accountable for his crime, which had been recorded by cameras.

Another issue concerned the release of Giorgi Lukava, a citizen of Georgia who is currently imprisoned in de facto Abkhazia for ‘terrorist activities’.

The detainee and his family claim he is innocent, and Lukava’s wife went on hunger strike with the demand the Georgian Dream authorities to ensure the release of her husband.

It was even stated that Lukava was killed. However, the information wasn’t confirmed and at the meeting the de facto representatives stressed the man’s life wasn’t at risk.

The talk also concerned the closure of the so-called border between Georgia and Abkhazia.

Representatives of the central government stressed that any kind of prohibition which will restrict fundamental rights of local residents will not only complicate their everyday lives, but sill also pose a significant threat to security on the ground.

The IPRM was created in February 2009 as a result of the Geneva Discussions that followed the 2008 Russia-Georgia conflict in Georgia. The meetings were an opportunity to identify and discuss potential risks and follow-up of incidents and issues affecting the communities on a daily basis. The meetings were co-facilitated by the OSCE and the EUMM in Georgia.

Such meetings are important to address the ongoing problems; dialogue always has a meaning. However, Russia’s position does not change, and the country still occupies 20 percent of Georgia’s lands.

Russia also continues its creeping occupation of sovereign Georgian land by pushing its barriers and ‘border signs’ further into Georgian territory.

To settle the territorial problem Georgia currently requires consistent diplomatic efforts and the support of the international community.

Georgia isn’t the only nation that Russia showed such aggression towards, as it invaded Ukraine land, and Moscow has only been encouraged by the impotent reaction of the West.