Occupation in Gugutiantkari

Lado Bitchashvili, Shida Kartli

11 years after the Russia-Georgia war, the representatives of the occupation regime actively continue annexation of the Georgia-controlled territory. This time, they started so-called “border demarcation” works alongside the occupation line in Gugutiantkari village of Gori municipality.

 The occupants first appeared in the village on August 8 and started works to mark the division line. However, they soon stopped working after having installed only several iron poles. The representatives of the Government of Georgia immediately protested the fact. 

On August 8, Zviad Zviadadze, head of the department on the issues of Abkhazian Autonomous Republic and former autonomous region of South Ossetia at the Office of the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civic Equality visited Gugutiantkari. He said, the Government of Georgia had already informed all international organizations about the recent developments in Gugutiantkari and requested to immediately stop illegal activities there. 

“Now it is being evaluated how much territory is being occupied and who became victim of it; we saw that these illegal constructions have been installed in the plots of local population. It proves that Russia is not stopping; the occupation power is not retreating and maximally tries to tense the situation. We cannot call their recent activities anything else but provocations when we were celebrating the 11th anniversary from tragic 2008 august war,” Zviad Zviadadze said. 

The representatives of the occupation regime have not appeared in Gugutiantkari for 6 days already. If they resume the so-called demarcation of the border, the locals said three houses and part of agricultural plots will turn up in the occupied territory. In addition to that, the water reservoir, which supplies the village with drinking water, will turn up on the other side of the division line. 

“They arrived unexpectedly and started installment of poles but stopped soon. If they continue the works, three houses and part of plots will turn up in the occupied territory. The village also faces threat of losing access to the drinking water reservoir because it is located on the other side of the newly installed poles,” the member of the Gori municipal assembly Merab Makharashvili said. 

Everybody can see the traces of the 2008 August war on the ruined and burnt houses in Gugutiantkari; but now the occupation forces create new problems for the victims of the war. The villagers expect the occupants with fear every day; particularly alarming is the situation of those families, whose houses and plots might turn up in the occupied territory. 

The Government of Georgia will raise the issue of illegal barriers in Gugutiantkari during the Geneva Talks and on August 29, during the Ergneti village meeting in the frame of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism.