Publication N29 / Review Period: March 1 - 31, 2024 / Author: Arsen Araqelov

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 118th Meeting

On March 20, the 118th meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM), co-chaired by the Acting Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia, Tibor Kozma, and the Acting Chairman of the OSCE, Special Representative for the South Caucasus, Ambassador Viorel Mosanu, was held in the village of Ergneti, Gori municipality. This was the second meeting this year.

Detained and Released Citizens

In March, representatives of the occupation forces arrested two Georgian citizens.

On March 4, in the east of Tskhinvali, the occupation forces illegally arrested a Georgian citizen, a resident of the village of Ruisi (Kareli municipality), 38-year-old Giorgi Baliashvili.

On the same day, March 4, in the vicinity of the village of Ghromi (occupied Erdevi municipality), the occupation forces arrested a citizen of Georgia, a resident of the village of Patara Mejvriskhevi (Gori municipality), 28-year-old Nodar Bibilashvili.

Baliashvili and Bibilashvili were soon released from illegal imprisonment. The so-called State Security Committed issued information about their detention and release on March 6, according to which both persons have mental health problems, so the “committee” decided to release them without penalties.

In addition to the Baliashvili and Bibilashvili case, the occupation forces released two Georgian citizens from illegal detention in March. Dimitri Korinteli and Giorgi Meladze were released from prison on March 14, 2024. The occupation forces arrested the Georgian citizens on November 24, 2023, near the village of Adzvi (Gori municipality). The case against them was initiated under the article of illegal crossing of the so-called border. On February 13, 2024, the so-called court sentenced Korinteli and Meladze to six months of imprisonment under the article of “illegal crossing of the border,” however, probably, due to the long period of imprisonment before the “court” decision, the citizens were released shortly after the verdict.

In total, the occupation forces arrested two people and released four in March.

As of March 31, a total of seven Georgian citizens remain in illegal detention. Of them, only the names of Soso Dvalishvili, Lasha Khetereli, Nika Mamastarashvili and Ivane Lutidze are known.

Soso Dvalishvili - the occupation forces detained him at a Perevi (Sachkhere municipality) section of the occupation line on January 16, 2023.

Lasha Khetereli - the occupation forces arrested him for the seventh time in July 2023. He periodically moves to the occupied territory to visit family members living there.

Nika Mamastarashvili and Ivane Lutidze – the occupation forces detained them near the occupation line in the vicinity of the village of Knolevi (Kareli municipality) on February 14, 2024.

See the interactive map of illegal detentions prepared by the Rondeli Foundation here.

“Borderization” and Activities Along the Occupation Line

New Checkpoint Near Khurvaleti

According to information released by Davit Katsarava, the leader of the anti-occupation movement - Power is in Unity, on March 21, the occupation forces are building a new checkpoint on top of the village of Khurvaleti. As Katsarava reported on March 29, at the end of the month, the occupation forces continued to work in the vicinity of Khurvaleti, at a different location.  

Checkpoint Construction Works 

Increased Patrolling Near Kirbali

According to information disseminated by Davit Katsarava on March 6, the occupation forces intensified their duty at the checkpoint located on top of Kirbali (Gori municipality). Katsarava relates the activation of the military with the murder of a Georgian citizen Tamaz Ginturi saying that the activation was noticed after Ginturi's murder. The Russian military killed Ginturi near the village of Kirbali on November 6, 2023.

Checkpoint on Top of the Village of Kirbali

Patrolling with Counter-Drone Systems

According to Davit Katsarava, while patrolling on March 1, he observed representatives of the occupation forces equipped with LPD-801 counter-drone systems. The Russian-made LPD-801 disables an unmanned aerial vehicle and according to Katsarava, patrol groups have never had such a weapon before. The Russian Armed Forces used the latest LPD-801 weapon for the first time during the military aggression in Ukraine. The first news about the use of the anti-drone system was released on July 9, 2022.

Occupation Forces while Patrolling. Source: David Katsarava's Facebook Page

Important Visits

Visit of the President of Iceland to Odzisi

On March 6, the President of Iceland, Gudni Johannesson, together with the Minister of State of Georgia, Thea Akhvlediani, visited an Odzisi (Dusheti municipality) section of the occupation line. The President of Iceland got acquainted with the security situation at the occupation line on the ground and learned detailed information about the situation in the occupied regions and at the occupation line from the Minister of State and representatives of the State Security Service of Georgia.

The President of Iceland at the Occupation Line. Source: smr.gov.ge