After 40-day isolation occupants open 'checkpoint' in Akhalgori
By Tea Mariamidze
Thursday, February 21
Puppet regime of Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of South Ossetia (Tskhinvali) has opened the so-called checkpoint in Akhalgori after 40-day isolation.
The information was released by Nugzar Tinikashvili, Akhalgori Municipality Governor.
“The so-called checkpoint was opened by occupants. Five people, who actually were in captivity, were able to leave Akhalgori. The movement is restored unilaterally and temporarily. A certain number of people will leave the occupied territories,” he stated.
The so-called checkpoint will be open for three days unilaterally and up to 200 people in the occupied Akhalgori will be allowed to leave the territory.
De facto leaderships of two Georgian occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali decided to close the so-called borders with the rest of Georgia on January 11 to “avoid the spread of H1N1”, so-called swine flu, which claimed lives of 23 people in Georgia.
Georgian government explained the flu was not epidemic and expressed concern on the closure of checkpoints.
Georgia’s State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality Ketevan Tsikhelashvili has called on the de facto governments many times to open the so-called borders, noting it created serious problems to the locals and aggravated humanitarian situation at the territories because the locals had no access to products.
Tsikhelashvili also noted that around 13 students could not attend classes and pass university exams due to the existing reality at the checkpoints.
“Closing the so-called border does not have any justification. This will serve as an additional restriction for people to whom moving around the so-called border is vital,” she added.
