"Direct result of Russia's occupation of Georgia's territories" - European Parliament Resolution on the murder of Tamaz Ginturi

European Parliament resolution on Tamaz Ginturi murder

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on the murder of Georgian citizen Tamaz Ginturi who was shot dead by Russian border guards on November 6, 2023 in the village of Kirbali.

The draft resolution, titled “On the murdered Georgian citizen Tamaz Ginturi and the abduction of Levan Dotiashvili by Russian occupation forces in the occupied Tskhinvali region of Georgia“, was prepared by several groups of the European Parliament, and its initiator is MEP Anna Fotiga.

552 MEPs took part in the voting on the resolution, 495 of whom supported it, while seven voted against.

The European Parliament categorically condemns the murder of Tamaz Ginturi and illegal detention of Levan Dotiashvili by Russian border guards in the zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict. It is emphasized that the perpetrators must be brought to justice, including representatives of the highest military and political echelons of Russia and the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation.

• The murder of Tamaz Ginturi: what happened, Tskhinvali’s version, what Georgian politicians say
• After Kirbali murder, Georgia’s opposition reminds parliament of the “Otkhozoriya-Tatunashvili List”

What the European Parliament resolution says:

● The murder of Tamaz Ginturi as well as the brutal murders of Georgian refugees Archil Tatunashvili, Gigi Octozoria and David Basharui, as well as the death of Irakli Kvaratskhelia at a Russian military base in the occupied region of Abkhazia, are a direct result of Russia’s occupation of Georgian territories.

● The European Parliament strongly condemns Russia’s illegal occupation of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali/South Ossetia, in clear violation of international law, and condemns the illegal “bordering” of these regions.

● Strongly condemns the discrimination against Georgian ethnic groups in the occupied territories, the violation of the right to education in one’s mother tongue, unlawful arrests, kidnappings and restriction of freedom of movement.

● The European Parliament expresses its continued support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognized borders, calls for the continuation of efforts to resolve the conflict peacefully and to stop the occupation of Georgian territory by Russia.

● The European Parliament calls on the Council of Europe to review the Oktozori-Tatunashvili list and impose sanctions on the individuals thereon.

● In June 2018, the Georgian Parliament approved the “Otozoria-Tatunashvili list,” similar to the U.S. Magnitsky List. The main purpose of the list is to protect the security of Georgian citizens in the zones of the Georgian-Abkhazian and Georgian-Ossetian conflicts.

● According to the resolution adopted by the Parliament, the list includes persons accused and convicted of murder, kidnapping, torture and inhuman treatment of Georgian citizens on these territories.

What happened in the village of Kirbali?

The village of Kirbali is located in the zone of the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict and is controlled by Russian border guards, as they see it as the state border of South Ossetia.

On October 25, information spread that Russians entered the territory of the Lomisi church located near the village and blocked the entrance to it for local residents. The head of the public relations service of the Georgian Patriarchate confirmed this information, adding that the border guards did so because “someone was waving a Georgian flag there”.

On November 6, Russian border guards killed Tamaz Ginturi near the church. Another Georgian citizen, Levan Dotiashvili, was kidnapped.

After his release, Dotiashvili said that first the Russian military fired a warning shot, after which Tamaz and Levan left the territory of the Lomisi church. They got into a car and managed to drive only a few meters when the soldier started shooting.

According to Levan Dotiashvili, after the wounded Tamaz Ginturi was pulled out of the car, seven more Russian soldiers appeared, one of whom hit Levan, forced him to lie on the ground and handcuffed him.

“I was taken away towards the forest, and I never saw Tamaz again. On the way there were insults and I was beaten,” says Dotiashvili.

The Georgian government is calling on the international community to condemn the killing.

President Salome Zurabishvili called the incident “a brutal attack on Georgian statehood.”

And Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, along with the international community, addressed Russian representatives and called for their cooperation. He said the killing once again confirms “the difficult security situation on the ground and speaks of the dire consequences of the occupation.”

Tamaz Ginturi was buried with military honors on November 11.