Russian Occupants Seize More Georgian Land
Occupation forces of de facto Abkhazia and the Russian Federation have installed a 400 meter barbed wire fence near the Georgian villages of Khurcha and Shamgona at the so-called border between the breakaway Abkhazia region and Georgia.
Khurcha governor Badri Khunjgurua stated that Russian occupants have completed the ‘borderization’ process at the so-called Khurcha-Nabakevi border, seizing a further two hectares of Georgian land.
The governor said posts were erected at the location several months ago by the Russian occupants and now barbed wire has been installed between them.
“A barbed wire fence had been installed on the posts so claiming about two hectares of agricultural land that had been cultivated by the locals for years. The borderization process has been completed,” Khunjgurua stated.
Georgia’s State Security Service (SSS) has also confirmed the fact of borderization.
“The installation of barbed wire fence at Khurcha-Nabakevi restricts locals’ rights and directly impacts the security environment at the scene,” the statement of the SSS reads.
The agency reports that the issue will be raised at the Incidents Prevention and Reaction Group Meeting in Gali.
Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) assessed the fact as a part of Russia’s deliberate policy to further isolate the population living in the occupied region and to hinder the peace processes “by any means”.
The ministry explains that in April this year, occupation forces carried out the preparatory works on that perimeter and installed wooden pylons and on 9-11 August, barbed wire fences were installed on the segment.
“This action by the Russian occupation forces grossly violates the fundamental rights of the local population, restricting their freedom of movement and access to education and health care, which will further complicate the already difficult humanitarian situation in the Abkhazia region,” the statement of the MFA reads.
The ministry also urges the Russian Federation to cease its aggressive steps against Georgia, respect the principles of international law and its undertaken commitments, to de-occupy the territory of Georgia and take steps for peaceful conflict resolution with respect to Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Official Tbilisi has once again appealed to the international community to properly assess and respond to the actions of the Russian occupation forces, “which are directed to the factual annexation of territories of the sovereign state, and which damage the security environment as well as international order”.
This July, the occupation forces also seized 20 hectares of Georgian agricultural land after moving the so-called border sign 500 meters into Georgian territory at Bershueti village near occupied South Ossetia.
Russian Occupants Seize More Georgian Land
Thea Morrison