On November 6, Russian occupying forces shot dead a Georgian citizen in the occupied territory near the village of Kirbali in the municipality of Gori during an attempt to make an illegal arrest, the Georgian State Security Service (SSSG) confirmed. According to the same source, another Georgian citizen was abducted.
“Active communication is underway using all tools available to the Government of Georgia,” the SSSG added.
The civilian killed was reportedly Tamaz Ginturi, a 58-year-old local resident who, along with three other local residents, had gone to pray at the St George of Lomisi Church in the village of Kirbali, which had been closed by the occupying forces in June this year. They were reportedly spotted by the Russian occupation forces, who opened fire on them, leaving Tamaz Ginturi critically wounded and dead. In addition to the abducted civilian, locals say the fate of two other people is unknown and they are suspected of having been abducted as well.
“Profoundly outraged by the Russian occupying forces’ fatal shooting of a Georgian citizen during an unlawful arrest. This blatant attack on Georgian statehood once again exposes the true nature of the ‘coreligionist brother,’” President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili tweeted, “urgently” calling on the international community to unequivocally condemn Russia’s actions, which have blatantly and shamelessly violated all international norms.”
The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) said the representatives of the Government of Georgia immediately asked for a technical meeting to be held on late in the evening on November 6, with the participation of the representatives of the Russian occupying forces, the occupied Tskhinvali region and the EU Monitoring Mission.
As of 10:pm (6/11/23) local time the entrance to the village of Kirbali in Gori municipality is blocked by the police. The media are not allowed to reach the center of the village and the occupation line. Members of the European Union Monitoring Mission have entered the village.
