EU says the death of woman in occupied Tskhinvali is ‘tragic,’ urges for reopening of ‘checkpoints’
It took more than two hours to transport a patient from Russian-occupied Akhalgori district to Tskhinvali hospital, making it impossible to save a woman who had suffered a stroke. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell says that the death of 70-year-old Margo Martiashvili, who suffered a stroke in the Russian-occupied Akhalgori district and was unable to be transported to the Tbilisi-administered territory because of the closed “checkpoints” with Tskhinvali, is “tragic, and we are doing our best for the crossing points to be reopened.”
He said that the closure of the so-called border, starting from September 4, creates a severe humanitarian situation on the ground.
I am very sorry for the death, which was tragic. We are doing our best the crossing points, which have been closed for two months, to be reopened,” Hartzell said.
The European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM), which is the only international mission observing the situation at the occupation lines, has stated that “such tragic instances show the potential impact of the severe restrictions in place on the freedom of movement for the local population in Akhalgori.”
Martiashvili died in Tskhinvali hospital on October 28 as her relatives were unable to transport her to the Tbilisi-controlled territory via the shortest, so-called Razdakhani crossing point, due to its closure.
De facto Tskhinvali government says that they will reopen the crossing points as soon as Tbilisi removes the police post from the village of Chorchana, Khashuri municipality, which is located on the Tbilisi-controlled territory.
After the Russia-Georgia 2008 War patients from the Russian-occupied region have been transported to Tbilisi-controlled territory via the Razdakhani crossing point with the help of the Red Cross.
Mother unable to mourn deceased son as ‘checkpoint’ to Georgia’s occupied Akhalgori remains closed
However, due to the closure of the so-called border since September of this year it has been impossible to use the route for medical purposes, and people living in Akhalgori are forced to wait for emergency brigades from Tskhinvali, which take longer than an hour to arrive.
The European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) offers its “sincere condolences” for the “unfortunate death” of Margo Martiashvili, who suffered a stroke in the Russian-controlled Akhalgori district yesterday.
Margo Martiashvili, who suffered a stroke in the Russian-controlled Akhalgori district, has died earlier today in the hospital of occupied Tskhinvali as her relatives were unable to transport her to the Tbilisi-controlled territory via the shortest route due to the closure of the so-called border.
De facto authorities of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region say that the tension at the villages of Chorchana and Tsnelisi will be eased only if and after Tbilisi removes a police post in Chocrhana, located on the territory which is under the control of the central Georgian government.
Occupation forces have refused to dismantle two illegal ‘police-posts’ arranged on Tbilisi-administered territory and declined to open a so-called checkpoint to the Akhalgori district, where the local population is on the verge of humanitarian catastrophe.
Georgian Foreign Ministry David Zalkaliani has stated that the humanitarian crisis in Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions [of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali] is one of the major challenges for the government, responding to the recent death of a woman in Tskhinvali due to the closed ‘checkpoint” with the breakaway region. He again raised the issue while meeting with the US Department of States Special Envoy and Coordinator of the Global Engagement Center Lea Gabrielle earlier today.
Acting US Ambassador to Georgia Elisabeth Rood says that the US is concerned by the recent death of a woman in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region due to closed crossing points and urged for the reopening of the so-called checkpoints by the occupation forces.
60-year-old woman Tamar Gigauri fell into a well of seven meters deep in Georgia’s Russian- occupied Akhalgori district yesterday, but the Tskhinvali occupation regime is not allowing her family to transfer the woman to a Tbilisi hospital. Ketevan Tsikhelashvili, Georgian Minister of Reconciliation and Civil Equality, urged all decision-making bodies to guide by humanitarian principles and not to endanger the health of the injured woman from Akhalgori region.
The German Embassy to Georgia has stated that ‘borders which are based on inhumanity will never last long,’ urging Russia and its controlled de facto government of Tskhinvali to recall why the Berlin Wall collapsed.
13,859 families living near Georgia’s Russian-occupied territories will receive 200 GEL vouchers to cover heating expenses, Georgia’s State Ministry for Reconciliation and Civic Equality stated today.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has delivered his first speech at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) as the head of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE), stating that consolidated, international pressure against Russian illegal activities in Georgia and other countries must continue.“Situation in the Russian-occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali has become worse."