Publication N27 / Review Period: December 1 – 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 116th Meeting

On December 13, the 116th meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM), co-chaired by the head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia, Dimitrios Karabalis, and the Acting Chairman of the OSCE, Special Representative for the South Caucasus, Viorel Moshanu, was held in the village of Ergneti, Gori municipality.

More details about the 116th meeting, please read here.

Detained and Released Citizens

Currently, a total of five Georgian citizens remain in illegal detention in the Tskhinvali prison. The identity of three of them is known. They are: Lasha Khetereli, Giorgi Meladze and Dimitri Korinteli.

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

Giorgi Meladze and Dimitri Korinteli - the occupation forces detained them near the occupation line, in the vicinity of the village of Adzvi (Gori municipality), on November 24, 2023.

The interactive map of illegal detentions prepared by the Rondel Foundation please see here.

Release of Khvicha Korinteli

On December 5, Khvicha Korinteli living in the village of Adzvi (Gori municipality) was released after 11 days of illegal detention and was handed over to the central government of Georgia. He was arrested together with his nephew Dimitri Korinteli and a fellow villager Giorgi Meladze on charges of illegally crossing of  the so-called border near the village church on November 24. The de facto State Security Committee named the deterioration of his health as the reason for his “expulsion” from the Tskhinvali region. On December 8, a case was filed against Meladze and Korinteli, who remain in illegal detention, under Article 322 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Release of Giorgi Darchiashvili

On December 12, a Georgian citizen Giorgi Darchiashvili was released from two months of illegal imprisonment after paying an administrative fine in the amount of RUB 50,000. He was arrested on charges of illegally crossing of the so-called border in the vicinity of the occupied villages of Ghromi and Andoreti of the Tskhinvali district. Information about the arrest became known on October 18, after the State Security Service of Georgia (SSS) published a statement on its official Facebook page. The detainee was accused of illegally crossing the so-called border.

Release of Giorgi Darchiashvili. Source: ssg.gov.ge

“Borderization” and Activities Along the Occupation Line

On December 16, Davit Katsarava, the leader of the anti-occupation movement - Power is in Unity, disseminated information on his Facebook page about the placement of a new banner marking the so-called border near the village of “Tsigriani (village Tsigriaantkari of the Dusheti municipality) of the Mtskheta - Mtianeti region.”

According to Katsarava, the mentioned perimeter is constantly patrolled by the occupation forces and a 24-hour checkpoint is also located there.

New Banner at the Village of Tsigriaantkari. Source: Davit Katsarava's Personal Facebook Page.

The interactive map of the “borderization” prepared by the Rondel Foundation please see here. 

Important Visits

Accompanied by the European Union Monitoring Mission, a delegation of the US embassy in Georgia under the leadership of the US Ambassador Robin L. Dunnigan visited occupation line sections in the villages of Tvaurebi, Odzisi and Goraka. European Union Monitoring Mission observers briefed the guests on the ground on recent “borderisation” activities and the impact of the restriction of movement on the conflict-affected population on both sides of the occupation line.

US Ambassador's Visit at the Occupation Line. Source: EUMM Official Facebook Page