Ergneti IPRM Resumes after Three-Month Suspension

The 90th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meeting was held on December 18 in village Ergneti close to the occupation line with Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia.

Today’s meeting came three months after Tskhinvali participants’ left the discussions format “in protest” to the Interpol’s arrest warrant issued against two South Ossetian security officers over the murder of a Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili.

In his press remarks after the meeting, Irakli Antadze of the Georgian State Security Service, said the case of Archil Tatunashvili was again on the discussion agenda, together with the murder case of Davit Basharuli.

Antadze said the Georgian participants also focused on “the persecution” of Tamar Mearakishvili, an Akhalgori-based civil rights activist, who has been placed under unofficial house arrest in the region. Antadze urged the international organizations “to take interest in the case.”

“We also spoke of the so-called borderization, illegal detention of Georgian citizens, as well as restrictions on local residents to move freely near the occupation line,” Antadze added.

The EU Monitoring Mission (EUMM), which co-facilitates IPRMs, welcomed the resumption of meetings, and “encouraged a constructive and pragmatic approach.”

According to the EUMM, participants touched upon recent events in the Atotsi area, south-west of Tskhinvali, which saw several anti-occupation protests following the resumption of fencing activities in the area.

“The co-facilitators noted the efforts of security actors to maintain stability along the Administrative Boundary Line, while expressing concern over the impact of recent borderisation on the local population’s freedom of movement,” the EUMM said.

The next IPRM meeting will be held in Ergneti on February 8.

The IPRMs format was established under the Geneva International Discussions to address the security concerns and developments on the ground on a regular basis, and involves officials from Tbilisi on the one hand and representatives of Tskhinvali and Sokhumi authorities on the other in two, separate meetings, as well as representatives of the Russian border troops.

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