Vazha Gaprindashvili
| Vazha Gaprindashvili | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| 🏳️ Nationality |  Georgia |
| 💼 Occupation | physician and president of the Association of Orthopedists and Traumatologists of Georgia |
| Twitter= | |
Vazha Gaprindashvili (Georgian: ვაჟა გაფრინდაშვილი) - Georgian physician and president of the Association of Orthopedists and Traumatologists of Georgia,[1] who was illegally detained and kidnapped by Russian occupation forces servicemen in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone while treating a heavily injured patient.
Kidnapping[edit]
In early November 2019, Georgian television channels reported about Tamar Gigauri, a resident of Akhalgori, who was heavily injured after she fell into a 7-meters deep well. Her family was not allowed to transport the woman to Tbilisi.[1][2]
According to Gaprindashvili's wife, Tamila Lapanashvili, her husband left home on November 9 in the morning to fulfill his medical duty and treat Tamar Gigauri. At 15:30 the same day, he called his family and claimed that the Russian military had detained him.[1][2]
Information about Dr. Gaprindashvili's detention was issued by the Security Committee of South Ossetia. According to the statement, he was detained in the vicinity of the villages of Orchosani and Ahmadzhi.[1][2]
Georgian authorities didn't make information public despite the fact the Gaprindashvili family learned about his detention on the same day. Information about the kidnapping was reported by media outlets in the Russian occupied Tskhinvali region.[1][2]
On November 15, the South Ossetian security committee issued a statement stating that "a South Ossetian court sentenced Vazha Gaprindashvili to two months pre-trial detention for illegally crossing the state border".[1][3]
On November 9–11, three more Georgian citizens were detained, but the court in Akhalgori sentenced them to administrative sentences. After the payment of fines, they were released.[1]
The President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili, Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia Archil Talakvadze and other officials, US Embassy in Tbilisi and other diplomatic missions, the Europe-Georgia Institute and other civil society institution called upon the Russian Government to release doctor Gaprindashvili. The US Embassy in Tbilisi also stated that "We once again urge Russia to fulfil all of its obligations under the 2008 ceasefire agreement, including the withdrawal of its forces to pre-conflict positions and the provision of free access for humanitarian assistance to these regions, as well to reverse its recognition of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states".[4][5][6][7] The President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili called on the international community “to react with all possible means” to the detention of a Georgian doctor and traumatologist Vazha Gaprindashvili and stated that "the detention of Dr. Vazha Gaprindashvili while offering emergency help goes against all internationally recognized HRs".[6] The Europe-Georgia Institute called upon the International Community, World Health Organization, the Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières and other international organizations to intervene and assure Dr. Gaprindashvili's safe return.[8]
Gaprindashvili was released by 28 December 2019.[9]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Georgian doctor sentenced to two months detention in South Ossetia. JAM News, November 16, 2019.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Famous doctor illegally detained by occupation forces sent to pretrial detention. Agenda, November 15, 2019.
- ↑ Doctor illegally detained by Russian occupation forces has been sent to two-month pretrial detention. 1TV, November 15, 2019.
- ↑ U.S. Embassy in Georgia released statement on Detention of Doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili. 1TV, November 16, 2019.
- ↑ Parliament Speaker – Detention of doctor is incredible malice. 1TV, November 16, 2019.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 President Zurabishvili calls on int’l community to react to doctor’s illegal detention in Tskhinvali. Agenda, November 15, 2019.
- ↑ US Embassy calls for ‘immediate release’ of Georgian doctor from Tskhinvali custody. Agenda, November 16, 2019.
- ↑ The Europe-Georgia Institute Statement, November 16, 2019.
- ↑ "Doctor Vazha Gaprindashvili released". 1TV. December 28, 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
This article "Vazha Gaprindashvili" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Vazha Gaprindashvili. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
