De facto Tskhinvali Imposes Restrictions on Georgian Farmers
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Monday, April 30
The de facto leadership of Georgia’s eastern occupied Tskhinvali region has announced about the restrictions, which are very likely to seriously affect ethnic Georgian farmers of the Akhalgori area, of the territory mostly resided by ethnic Georgians, occupied by Russia during the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.
Akalgori Municipality Governor Nugzar Tinikashvili stated on Friday that de facto President of Tskhinvali Anatoly Bibilov said that those Georgian farmers who will take their cattle and sheep in other Georgian regions in winter will not be able to re-enter the region with their cattle and sheep.
Tinikashvili said that about 25 ethnic Georgian families have cattle and sheep in the municipality and about 1,000 heads of cattle and 8,000 sheep are taken out of the occupied Akhalgori every winter.
“The reason Bibilov named was that some illnesses and infections were spread in Georgian regions affecting the cattle which could also be brought to Tskhinvali via the sheep and the cattle of the Georgian farmers,” Tinikashvili said.
“The reason is absolutely groundless as no such infections are reported. Moreover, both the central and local governments of Georgia pay close attention to timely vaccination of cattle to avoid any illnesses,” the governor stated.
He stated that the restriction will affect the local farmers as they will not be able to feed their cattle and sheep in the Akhalgori region in winter.
“If what Bibilov said is implemented there will be a meat shortage in the municipality and many locals will lose the only source of income,” Tinikashvili said.
The central government of Georgia and almost all international organizations are speaking about violations of the rights of ethnic Georgians in occupied Tskhinvali and Abkhazia regions.
