More than 3,000 people crossed checkpoints in the direction of Akhalgori and Java regions

According to the Ossetian side, from 20 to 28 August, 3,026 people used the checkpoints opened in the direction of the Akhalgori and Dzhav regions.

After almost three years of restrictions on free movement, checkpoints were partially opened in the direction of Tskhinvali. Movement is allowed from the 20th to the 30th of each month, subject to the availability of relevant documents.

In September 2019, the then de facto leader Anatoly Bibilov ordered the closure of the checkpoint for residents of Akhalgori after the Georgian side set up a police checkpoint near the village of Tsnelisi. Bibilov claimed that the territory where the Georgian police are deployed belongs to the so-called. South Ossetia (a Russian-occupied region of Georgia) and Tbilisi did not have the right to establish a police post here. At each meeting with the residents of Akhalgori, Bibilov gave the residents an ultimatum that the road would not be opened until the Georgian side removed the checkpoint. Bibilov was defeated in the de facto presidential elections in the spring of 2022. He was replaced by Alan Gagloev.

In official statements, the Georgian side welcomed the opening of the checkpoint, declaring its role in the decision taken in Tskhinvali.

“The dire humanitarian situation caused by illegal restrictions on freedom of movement, especially during the pandemic in the Akhalgori region, and numerous facts of human rights violations were constantly discussed with international partners in all relevant bilateral and multilateral formats, including the Geneva International Discussions and discussions on security within the framework of the Mechanism for Incident Prevention and Response (IPRM).

The Government of Georgia is making every effort to ensure the realization of the basic right of the population to live in a safe environment and free movement, using all available mechanisms and in close cooperation with international partners,” the Ministry of Reconciliation and Civil Equality said a few days ago.