OSCE Group of Friends of Georgia Urges Russia to Comply With International Commitments

By Khatia Bzhalava

Wednesday, December 8

The joint statement of OSCE Group of Friends of Georgia expresses concern over Russia's military presence in the occupied Georgian regions.

“Isolation and continuous restrictions on freedom of movement have destabilized the situation on the ground and severely impacted the security, safety, well-being, and humanitarian conditions of civilians on the ground,” the statement reads.

Within the framework of the 28th Ministerial Council of OSCE held in Stockholm, OSCE Group of Friends of Georgia has released a statement that underlines the support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and expresses concern over the occupation of Georgian territories by the Russian Federation.

The joint statement was delivered on behalf of Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America at the 28th OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting on December 3.

OSCE Group of Friends of Georgia stresses that they are deeply concerned over the continued occupation of parts of Georgian territory and underlines the need for the peaceful resolution of the conflict based on the UN Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, and international law. The statement urges the Russian Federation to immediately fulfill its obligation under the ceasefire agreement, withdraw its forces to pre-conflict positions, allow unhindered access for the delivery of humanitarian assistance on the ground, and reverse the recognition of the independence of Abkhazia and the so-called South Ossetia regions.

The statement expresses concern over Russia's military presence in the occupied regions and condemns Russia's steps to unilaterally establish the Georgia-Russia state border on the segments of the occupied territories.

The statement also focuses on the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case concerning the armed conflict between Georgia and the Russian Federation in August 2008, according to which, Russia in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights, tortured Georgian Prisoners of War, arbitrarily detained and killed Georgian civilians and was responsible for their inhuman and degrading treatment, prevented the return of ethnic Georgians to their homes, and failed to conduct investigations into killings of civilians.

“We call on Russia to fully comply with the judgment, including by allowing internally displaced persons (IDPs) to return to their homes in safety and dignity,” the statement reads.

The group of friends is also concerned over the ethnic discrimination against Georgians residing in Georgia’s Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions and condemns the decision to replace education in the Georgian language with Russian in schools of the Gali district, which is inhabited by ethnic Georgians.

“We call on those in control to enable full and unhindered access by international human rights organizations to the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” the statement reads.

They express concern over the installation of barbed wire fences and other artificial barriers along the occupation line and the closure of so-called crossing points for over 2 years. The statement also focuses on the ongoing unlawful detentions at the occupied territories and calls for the ‘immediate and unconditional’ release of Irakli Bebua and all those under illegal detention. The group of friends condemn the killings of Georgian citizens Archil Tatunashvili, Giga Otkhozoria, and Davit Basharuli, and urge the Russian Federation to remove any obstacles to bringing the perpetrators to justice.

They positively assess the reopening of the so-called crossing point at the Enguri bridge this year, as well as the establishment of a humanitarian corridor across the ABL in the Abkhazia region, “which has saved lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The Statement reaffirms their unwavering support for the EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM) and highlights that the EUMM must be allowed to implement its mandate in full, on both sides of the occupation line.

The statement reads that they welcome the decision of the government of Georgia to launch a multi-stakeholder process for developing a comprehensive State Strategy for de-occupation and peaceful conflict resolution, as well as for the Georgian government’s peace initiative - A Step to a Better Future- aimed at improving the humanitarian and socio-economic conditions of people residing in Georgia’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions.

“We regret the closure of the OSCE mission to Georgia in 2009 and encourage the OSCE participating States to decide on the reopening of the OSCE cross-dimensional mission in Georgia, including a monitoring capacity able to operate unhindered across the ABLs,” reads the statement, adding that the re-opening of the mission would considerably strengthen the OSCE’s engagement in the Geneva International Discussions and the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism.

The Group of Friends of Georgia pledges to continue to raise awareness of the conflict and the developments on the ground, hold Russia accountable for its obligations and commitments, and facilitate the peaceful resolution of the conflict.