We, member organizations of the Georgian National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum, express our deep sorrow about the death of Archil Tatunashvili, a citizen of Georgia, in Tskhinvali on February 23 this year.

We have learned from various sources that Archil Tatunashvili died as a result of violence inflicted on him and that the official version disseminated by the de facto authorities of Tskhinvali does not correspond with the reality.  

The civil society is concerned about the escalation of the situation. We believe that further de-escalation of the situation requires that the body of the deceased Archil Tatunashvili be immediately handed over to his family. Further protraction of this process is going to lead to extreme tension and might make processes unmanageable, which is in the interests of the occupation regime, not of the population living under this regime.  

We demand that the Russian Federation and its occupation regime in Tskhinvali ensure the transfer of the body to the family and that they don’t hinder the two unlawfully detained citizens of Georgia from crossing the dividing line and peacefully returning to their families.

We appeal to the international community to increase control and pressure on the Russian Federation, in order to defuse the crisis.

We don’t believe that the occupation regime will ensure a fair investigation of this case. The Russian Federation and its occupation regime in Tskhinvali, as the state that exercises effective control on the territory of the former Autonomous District of South Ossetia, bear the full responsibility for the killing of the peaceful citizen. We believe that the incident must become an object of dispute in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.  

In addition, we emphasize that the occupation government has been and will continue to be provocative, destructive, and anti-human, which causes damage to the societies that have been alienated by the conflict.      

At the same time, we believe that it is important to continue peaceful initiatives and taking relevant and coherent steps that are designed for the well-being of citizens living on both sides of the dividing line.

 

Signatory organizations:

1.Civil Forum

2. Liberal Academy Tbilisi

3. Europe Foundation

4. Rondeli Foundation

5. Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association

6. Institute for Development of Freedom of Information

7. World Experience for Georgia

8. Human Rights Center

9. Free Choice

10. Association of Tea Producers of Georgia “Georgian Tea”

11.Association “Woman and Business”

12.Association for Farmers Rights Defense

13. Enterprise Innovation Center 

14. Civil Society and Democracy Development Center

15. Local Democracy Agency Georgia

16. Confederation of Trade Unions of Georgia

17. Georgian Railway Workers’ New Trade Union 

18. Association “Merkuri”

19. Foundation "Multiethnic Resource Center for Civic Education Development"

20. Youth Alternative 

21. Thomas Jefferson Research Center

22. Association “Toleranti”

23. Association “Peaceful and Business Caucasus”

24. Association “Save the Future Generation”

25. Youth Union “EuroClub”

26. Anti-Violence Network of Georgia

27. Fund of Women Entrepreneurs

28. Teachers’ Union “Education and Universe”

29. Levan Mikeladze Foundation

30. Young Socialists of Georgia

31. Public Movement “Multinational Georgia”   

32. Association “School-Family-Society”

33. Energy Efficiency Center Georgia

34. Journalism Resource Center

35. International Organization for the Protection of Human Rights and Social Security of Prisoners

36. International Center for Civic culture

37. International Association “Civitas Georgica”

38. Caucasian House – Georgia

39. Foundation “Caucasus Environment”  

40. Media Monitoring Center of Georgia

41. People’s Harmonious Development Society

42. Cultural-Humanitarian Fund “Sokhumi”

43. Energy Efficiency Foundation

44. Association “Healthy Children”

45. Women’s Information Center

46. Green Caucasus

47. New Generation for Democratic Georgia

48. Junior Achievement Georgia

49. Georgia Press Association

50. Association for Efficient Use of Georgian Energy Resources

51. Union “Ecotech”

52. Disarmament and Non-violence

53. Association “Atinati”   

54. Abkhazia – My Home

55. Penal Reform International

56. Association “Psychea”

57. Coalition for Independent Living

58. Women’s Political Resource Center

59. Georgian Institute of Geostrategic and Euro-Atlantic Integration Studies 

60. International Business and Economic Development Center