EUMM Head: Tskhinvali’s closure of crossing points negatively affects local communities
Occupied Tskhinvali announced a temporary closure of the so-called border with Georgia between September 4-6. However, the border has not been opened so far. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
Tweet 
Share
The Head of the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) Erik Hoeg said the recent decision of de facto Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) officials to close the so-called border with the rest of Georgia is “negatively affecting local communities” on both sides of the occupation line.
Odzisi, the main crossing point at the South Ossetian ABL. On a normal day #EUMM observes around 400 crossings, now 0. Closed since 5 SEP without clear justification. Measure negatively affecting local communities on both sides of ABL. pic.twitter.com/avFg1UY8Cf
— Erik Hoeg (@erik_hoeg) September 7, 2019
The European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar also shared concern on his Twitter account yesterday.
Very concerned about news that Odzisi crossing point remains closed. If prolonged this will have a major impact on the population on the ground.
— Toivo Klaar (@ToivoKlaar) September 6, 2019
The de facto State Security Committee of Georgia’s eastern Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region announced a temporary closure of the so-called border with Georgia between September 4-6.
However, the Georgian State Security Service said today that the so-called border has not been opened so far, which “affects the lives of local population and harms the security environment on ground”.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry is concerned that the “occupation forces occupied the hilltop in the vicinity of the village of Chorchana, installed a so-called ‘border’ sign and stepped up works to deploy a so-called checkpoint there”.
De facto MPs of occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region have appealed to the parliament of the Russian Federation to react to the construction of a Georgian police checkpoint in the Tbilisi-controlled village of Chorchana, close to the occupied village of Tsnelisi.
The central Georgian government has confirmed that a ‘police post’ opened by occupying forces near the village of Tsnelisi, Kareli Municipality, is on Tbilisi-administered territory. The confirmation came after today’s meeting in the village of Ergneti between the members of the central Georgian government and the de facto leadership of the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region.
The OSCE Permanent Council has made a statement on recent developments in the occupied regions of Georgia on behalf of 15 countries. The United States Mission to OSCE, which "fully subscribes to the joint statement made by the Group of Friends of Georgia", released a separate statement as well in its "national capacity".
Georgian PM candidate Giorgi Gakharia spoke of the Russian occupation of the two Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) in his speech in parliament ahead of today's vote of confidence in his government.
Foreign diplomats and experts, attending the fifth Tbilisi International Conference- Now What?, have visited the occupation line in the village of Odzisi before the opening of the two-day conference earlier today.It is possible to see the Russian base located in the village of Akhmaji from Odzisi.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia spoke of the recent developments along the occupation line between Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region and the rest of Georgia with the European Union Special Representative for the South Caucasus Toivo Klaar yesterday.
The de facto leadership of Georgia’s Russian occupied region of Abkhazia announced today that the closure of the so-called border between the region and the rest of the country has been abolished.
De facto President of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region Anatoly Bibilov says that they were “forced” to close crossing points with the rest of Georgia in early September to respond to the “destructive actions” of the central government of Georgia.This statement was in response to the locals of the occupied Akhalgori district, who protested and expressed their dissatisfaction with the de facto leadership
The de facto security committee of the Russia-occupied Georgian region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) announced the temporary closure of its Karzmani crossing point connecting the occupied region with the rest of Georgia.
Civic activist Tamar Mearakishvili, who lives in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Akhalgori district, says that up to 10 people in the area have died due to delayed medical aid or other reasons related to the illegal closure of crossing points between breakaway Tskhinvali and the rest of Georgia 131 days ago.
State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality of Georgia Ketevan Tsikhelashvili said restrictions on the freedom of movement in occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) should be lifted. Minister Tsikhelashvili said earlier today that the closure of crossing points connecting the occupied region with the rest of Georgia holds peaceful population hostage.
European Union Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell calls on the de facto authorities in the Russian-occupied Georgian region of Tskhinvali and the Russian Federation to allow for the reopening of all crossing points’ at the occupation line.
US citizen Jackson Poll Cramer, who was illegally detained by the Russian-controlled occupation forces in the Java district of Tskhinvali region on August 26, was released yesterday. Cramer, who was visiting Georgia as a tourist, accidentally crossed into the occupied territory and was taken to Tskhinvali prison for ‘illegally crossing the border.’ The de facto authorities have tried to use him for propaganda and took him to Tskhinvali museum and a cemetery ‘where the victims of Georgian aggression are buried.’