Publication N24 / Review Period: July 1 – August 31, 2023 / Author: Elene Mindiashvili

Monitoring of the Situation at the Occupation Line is being prepared within the framework of the project - Roadmap to Kremlin's Policy in Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali Region. The purpose of the publication is to review the situation and ongoing important developments near the occupation line in the Tskhinvali region. The publication will be useful for everyone – decision-makers, public employees, representatives of media and international governmental or non-governmental organizations,  and other people who are interested in the mentioned topic.

IPRM 113th Meeting

On July 3, 2023, the 113th meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) was held in the village of Ergneti (Gori municipality), under the co-facilitation of the EUMM Head, Dimitrios Karabalis, and the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus, Ambassador Viorel Moşanu. More information about the meeting, please see here.

Citizens Detained and Released

The so-called State Security Committee of the Tskhinvali region published the statistics of the “legislation” violations in the “border area” for the first half of 2023. According to the statistics, a total of 185 violators were detained during this period. Among them were eight detainees for violation of “state border,” 86 - for violation of “state border regime,” and 91 - for violation of “border regime.” In July, 37 cases of violation were recorded.

Detention of Lasha Khetereli

On July 5, in the village of Dmenisi (occupied Tskhinvali region), representatives of the occupation forces detained Lasha Khetereli, an IDP settlement resident of the village Shaumiani, Marneuli municipality. This is his first arrest since February 2023 when Khetereli served a one-year illegal imprisonment in Tskhinvali prison. He has been arrested six times in previous years. Khetereli periodically moves to the occupied territory to visit his relatives.

Detention and Release of Six Georgian Citizens  

On July 7, while presenting the 2022 report of the State Security Service to the Parliament of Georgia, the First Deputy Head of the State Security Service (SSS), Alexi Batiashvili, announced the illegal detention of six Georgian citizens. The arrest occurred near the village Mejvriskhevi, Gori municipality. This is the first time that so many people have been arrested together. According to Radio Liberty, initially, the detainees were transferred to a military base located in the occupied village of Ghromi, adjacent to the village of Mejvriskhevi. Later, they were placed in Tskhinvali prison. The detainees were released on July 10, the third day of the illegal detention.

Release of Sergo Gugutishvili and Tamaz Kakhabrishvili

On July 28, the de facto authorities of the Tskhinvali region handed over two Georgian citizens, Sergo Gugutishvili and Tamaz Kakhabrishvili, to the central authorities of Georgia after the expiration of their illegal sentence. Kakhabrishvili, a resident of Tbilisi, and Gugutishvili, living in the village of Gugutiaantkari,  Gori municipality, were detained near the village of Koshka of the same municipality on January 2 of this year on chages of crossing the so-called border and were sentenced to six months of pre-trial detention as a preventive measure.

Detention and Release of Tamaz Psitidze and Zurab Petriashvili

On August 22, in the vicinity of the village of Akhalubani, Gori municipality, the occupation forces detained two Georgian citizens, Tamaz Psitidze and Zurab Petriashvili, resident of the same village. According to the SSS, the “hot line” mechanism on illegal detention managed by the European Union was immediately activated. Davit Katsarava, the leader of the anti-occupation movement - Power is in Unity, visited the place of detention and published a map on his Facebook page claiming that the point from which the Georgian citizens were illegally abducted, locates in the depth of the territory controlled by the central government of Georgia, in an artificially created so-called fear zone. Both citizens were released on August 23, the second day after their arrest.

Release of Tamaz Psitidze and Zurab Petriashvili. Source: ssg.gov.ge

Release of Kakhaber Natadze and Mamuka Chkhikvadze

On August 25, the occupation regime handed over two Georgian citizens, who have been in illegal detention since December 2021, to the central government of Georgia. A former military serviceman Mamuka Chkhikvadze, arrested near the village of Nikozi on December 12, 2021, Vladimir Kaniashvili (released in April 2022) and Kakhaber Natadze both detained in the vicinity of the village of Ghduleti (occupied Akhalgori municipality), were released from prison on August 25.

As Radio Liberty reports, Chkhikvadze was sentenced to five years and six months in prison in May 2022, however, after a Tskhinvali lawyer appealed the court’s decision, the sentence was reduced and in August of the same year, the prison term was set at three years and eight months. By the time of the release, Chkhikvadze had served half of his illegal imprisonment.

Release of Kakhaber Natadze and Mamuka Chkhikvadze. Source: ssg.gov.ge

Protest of Locals

In July, the increasing intensity of illegal detentions of the population (meaning mainly the local Ossetians) by the occupation forces led to a protest in the village of Tsinagari (occupied Akhalgori municipality), adjacent to the vilalges of Bershueti and Khurvaleti (Gori municipality). As Radio Liberty reports, the protest wave among the population was caused by frequent arrests of herdsmen on charges of violating the so-called border zone. According to them, villagers are detained due to the lack of “certifying document of their economic activity” while herding cattle and in exchange for release, they are imposed a monetary fine.

An interactive map of illegal detentions prepared by the Rondell Foundation, can be found here.

“Borderization”

New Defensive Fence on Orchosani-Khurvaleti Section

According to Davit Katsarava, the leader of the anti-occupation movement - Power is in Unity, a new defensive fence was erected along the crossing checkpoint located in the vicinity of the village of Orchosani (occupied Akhalgori municipality) and the village of Khurvaleti (Gori municipality). Katsarava believes that the occupation forces are “preparing a capital fortification system” around the old checkpoint. He also stated that similar engineering systems were observed in the occupied villages of Tamarasheni, Ghogheti, Jariasheni and Akhmaji while patrolling.

Video material on the checkpoint fortification, can be found here.

Renewed Anti-Fire Ditch and a Banner in Atotsi

Based on the information spread by Davit Katsarava, on June 25-August 16, representatives of the occupation forces renewed anti-fire ditch passing near the village of Atotsi (Kareli municipality) which serves as an occupation line. During patrolling, anti-occupation movement reps found a new “informational” banner in the same place, warning about the so-called border and video-surveillance.

New Banner in Atotsi. Source: Davit Katsarava's Facebook Page

“Borderization - Creeping Occupation” - an interactive map prepared by the Rondel Foundation can be found here.

Activities Along the Occupation Line

Fight Against UAVs

On July 3, the de facto government of the Tskhinvali region approved a new rule for the use of weapons and combat equipment along the occupation line, according to which, the occupation forces can use weapons against unmanned aerial vehicles effective July 3. Tskhinvali believes that drones are operated  from the territory controlled by the central government of Georgia.

Temporary Concession Over Agribusiness

On August 2, restrictions on agricultural activities were partially lifted for the population living in the so-called border zone of the occupied Tskhinvali region. This concession will be in force until September 30. In this period, the population can carry out agricultural activities in the so-called border regime zone without permission issued by the so-called State Security Committee. They are only required to report to the nearest local “border” unit.

Damage to Cultural Monuments

On August 28, the occupation forces nailed a door of a church with tin plates in the occupied part of the Kirbali village (Gori municipality). This was reported by Davit Katsarava as a result fo observation during patrolling. The population of the villages of Kirbali, Mejvriskhevi, Zerti and Bershueti enjoyed free movement in the Lomisi St. George Church in Kirbali until the de facto government declared the area occupied in 2018.

Important Visits

Visit of the President of the German Parliament to Odzisi

On July 11, the EUMM Head of Operations, Brian Richard, hosted a German parliamentary delegation led by the President of the Parliament, Barbel Bas,  on a visit to the crossing checkpoint in the village of Odzisi (Dusheti municipality).

Visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium to Odzisi

On August 24, during an official visit to Georgia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade and Federal Cultural Institutions of the Kingdom of Belgium, Hadja Lahbib, visited the occupation line in the village of Odzisi.

Visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium to Odzisi. Source: Facebook Page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia

Visit of the  Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie to Odzisi

On July 5, the Bureau members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie, under the leadership of the President of the Assembly Francis Drouin, visited an occupation line section in the village of Odzisi.

Visit of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to Odzisi

On June 30, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, visited an occupation line section in the village of Odzisi and was briefed about the dire humanitarian situation on the ground.