CoE Approves 19th Consolidated Report of Secretary-General on Conflict in Georgia
By Tea Mariamidze
Friday, April 26
The Council of Europe (CoE) has approved Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland’s 19th consolidated report on the conflict in Georgia, which focuses on grave human rights conditions in Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
The 19th consolidated report covers the period between October 2018 and March 2019 on occupied regions. It builds on the previous consolidated reports, as well as Secretariat reports on the human rights situation in the areas affected by the conflict in Georgia along with the report on the Council of Europe activities in the areas affected by the conflict and its updates.
The report has been published twice a year since 2010.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Lasha Darsalia spoke about the situation in the Russian-occupied regions of Georgia during the 1344th meeting of the Committee of Ministers Deputies of the Council of Europe dedicated to the discussion of the 19th Consolidated Report on the Conflict in Georgia.
Highlighting the difficult security, human rights and humanitarian situation in Georgia’s occupied territories and the Russian occupation troops’ recent illegal activities, Darsalia in his speech paid special attention to the installation of barbed wires and other artificial barriers along the occupation line and noted that such actions affect the daily lives of the local population and deprive them of fundamental rights such as free movement, right on property and rights to receive education on native language.
He informed the Committee on the death of Irakli Kvaratskhelia, Georgian citizen who was found dead in unclear circumstances at the Russian base in breakaway Abkhazia, the next day of his detention. According to Darsalia, this indicates once again that it is necessary to consolidate efforts to end the rough violations of human rights in the occupied territories and put an end to the facts of impunity.
In addition to this, Darsalia brought to the attention of the attending audience the Otkhozoria-Tatunashvili list aiming to bring to justice all perpetrators of human rights violations against Georgians in the occupied territories and to prevent the further aggravation of the already difficult humanitarian situation. He also emphasized the international community’s support for the Otkhozoria-Tatunashvili list and the importance of imposing sanctions on the persons included in the list.
He also called upon the Russian Federation to comply with the fundamental principles and norms of international law and fulfill obligations undertaken under the 12 August 2008 ceasefire agreement.
Highlighting the importance of the Geneva International Discussions in the process, the Deputy Minister paid special attention to the steps of the Georgian government that aims at a peaceful resolution of the conflict and restoration of the trust between the conflict-torn communities.
During the discussions, statements were made on behalf of the EU and GUAM member states.
In the statements, the EU and GUAM reaffirm their strong support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders and called on the Russian Federation to fulfill its international obligations.
Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the 19th consolidated report on the conflict in Georgia and the supportive statements made by the EU and GUAM countries.
