On November 6, 2023, on the territory of the Republic of South Ossetia adjusted to the frontier with Georgia, close to the village of Amdzarin of the Leningor region of the Republic of South Ossetia, during the actions undertaken by a border patrol while detaining violators of the state border of the Republic of South Ossetia, an incident happened as a result of which one Georgian citizen was injured and later died, another was detained.
According to the available information, these Georgian citizens, representing radical wing of the party of the former President of Georgia M. Saakashvili, illegally crossed the state border of the Republic of South Ossetia by car, with the intention to follow deep into its territory. However, they were discovered by a border patrol. The violators demonstratively ignored the repeated demands of the border guards to stop moving as well as the warnings about the use of weapons. Moreover, they showed an extreme degree of aggression against the border guards, threatening their lives and health. During the measures undertaken to detain the violators, one of them was injured and later died, the second was detained.
We in the Republic of South Ossetia consider what happened as a direct consequence of the refusal, first of all, of the official Tbilisi to recognize the reality that the territory of Georgia ends at the state border of the Republic of South Ossetia. Results of such a position, which the Georgian leadership has been trying to maintain for more than 30 years, are, among other things, numerous facts of detentions of Georgian citizens, who illegally enter the territory of South Ossetia at the background of the demonstrative connivance of Georgian law enforcement officers. Thus, since April 2023, six cases of detention of violators of the state border have been recorded on the section of the state border where the above-mentioned incident occurred.
At all available international platforms Georgian representatives present these facts as so-called “illegal abductions”, which, according to official Tbilisi, quite fit into the non-existing agenda of the so-called “occupation of part of the territory of Georgia”, imposed by them on the international community.
We consider such a position absolutely counterproductive and, moreover, provoking similar incidents, that could lead to escalation of tensions. The Republic of South Ossetia will further undertake all legal measures to protect its sovereign territory and airspace of violations of the border.
We once again call on Tbilisi to accept the proposal to start joint activities on delimitation and demarcation of the state border, which provides for determination of crossing procedures in accordance with civilized and transparent rules.
November 7, Tskhinval 2023