Monthly Review

Monitoring of the Situation at the Occupation Line in the Tskhinvali Region

2022 / 09 / 04

Publication N13 / Review Period: August 1-31, 2022 / Author: Elene Mindiashvili

Monitoring of the Situation at the Occupation Line in the Tskhinvali Region 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 review will be useful for everyone – decision-makers, public employees, media representatives and other people who are interested in the mentioned topic.

Citizens Detained and Released

Release of Zaza Megrelishvili and Tamaz Gogichashvili

On August 5, Tamaz Gogichashvili and Zaza Megrelishvili, residents of the village of Avlevi, the Kareli municipality, were released from illegal imprisonment. They were arrested on charges of crossing the so-called border in the vicinity of the village of Chorchana, the Khashuri municipality, On December 15 last year. Despite the court sentence of two-month imprisonment as a preventive measure, Georgian citizens spent nine months in the Tskhinvali prison.

Verdict of Mamuka Chkhikvadze

According to the Ossetian media agency Рес, the de facto court of Tskhinvali sentenced Mamuka Chkhikvadze, a former military serviceman of Georgian citizenship, to three years and eight months of imprisonment. Chkhikvadze was detained by the occupation forces near the village of Nikozi, the Gori municipality, on December 12 last year and has been in the Tskhinvali prison since then.

It is a noteworthy that according to the May 12 statement issued by the State Security Service of Georgia (SSS) about Chkhikvadze’s case, he was sentenced to five years and six months illegal imprisonment. The Ossetian side released different  information.

Release of a US Citizen

A US citizen Frank Yanez, 22, arrested on July 27, was released by the occupation forces on August 24. According to reports on Рес, the Ossetian side places full responsibility for the incident on the central authorities of Georgia and the USA.

Release of Levan Machabeli

Levan Machabeli, a former serviceman of the 3rd Brigade of the Georgian Armed Forces and a participant in the 2008 war, arrested on March 26, was handed over to the Georgian side on August 18.

Machabeli was detained in the vicinity of the village of Kere, the Gori municipality, when he was visiting the family of Data Vanishvili in Khurvaleti to hand over the collected money. The occupation regime accused him of crossing the so-called border and attempting sabotage.

“Borderization” and Ongoing Activities Along the Occupation Line

Grenades Mounted on Barbed Wire Fences

According to the information of Davit Katsarava, the leader of the Power is in Unity anti-occupational movement, the occupation regime placed explosive devices, believed to be Soviet-made F-1 hand grenades, on support poles of the barbed wire fences which were renewed in July in the village of Iri, the Oni municipality, Racha. 

Crossing the Occupation Line

Opening of the so-Called Border Crossing Points

The de facto authorities of the Tskhinvali region made a decision to periodically open two “border” crossing points connecting with the territory controlled by the Georgian authorities. The Odzis (Razdakhani) and Perevi (Pereu) crossing points will be opened from 20 to 30 every month until the end of this year, and traffic will be allowed with passes.

According to the latest data, a total of 3,026 people crossed the occupation line.

The request of the Georgian side to open crossing points has been on the agenda of talks of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) since 2019. At the last few meetings, ultimatums were sounded from the Ossetian side. In exchange for the opening of crossing points, the occupation regime is requesting the dismantling the police checkpoint located in Chorchana, which the Ossetian side considers to be located on the territory of the occupied Tsnelisi. Despite the refusal of the official Tbilisi to dismantle the checkpoint, the newly elected de facto president of the Tskhinvali region, still made the decision to open the crossing points following his promise made to “voters” in Akhalgori.

“Airspace” Violation 

Valery Alikhanti, the Head of the “Border” Service of the so-called State Security Committee, released information on the violation of the “airspace” of the Tskhinvali region. According to him, on August 28, an unmanned aerial vehicle launched from the territory of Chorchana, the village controlled by the central government of Georgia, violated the “airspace” of the de facto republic and tried to take photo-video material illegally. 

Crossing of the Occupation Line by Russian “Border Guards”

On August 29, Davit Katsarava, the leader of the Power is in Unity anti-occupational movement, released a video showing how representatives of the occupation forces cross the occupation line and move into the territory controlled by the central government of Georgia.

Important Visits

No high-ranking visit to the occupation line of the Tskhinvali region was made in August.