Georgian policeman shot dead at Russian checkpoint

Tbilisi, 22 September 2008

Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia (MFA.GOV.GE)

On 21 September 2008 fire was opened from a Russian police checkpoint operating illegally on the territory of Georgia towards a Georgian police post. As a result, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Police Lieutenant Ramaz Kitia was shot dead, three other policemen were wounded, one of them severely.
It is the third case when fire opened from a Russian checkpoint claimed the life of a Georgian policeman. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia has issued statements unequivocally condemning the killing of Georgian policeman K. Tsotniashvili near the village of Karaleti, Gori district on 10 September 2008 and Georgian police officer B. Khulordava near the village of Ganmukhuri, Zugdidi district on 13 September. In evidence, it is a very alarming tendency that serves no other goal but further the escalation of the situation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia expresses its firm protest over the provocative acts committed by Russian occupation troops and separatists and calls on the international community to give due assessment to the existing tense situation and do all in its power to unconditionally prevent recurrence of similar provocations and avoid further complications.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia insists that the UN Observer Mission in Georgia carry out necessary measures aimed at proper investigation of the incident and detection of offenders.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia indicates that an increasing number of provocations perpetrated in the vicinity of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region, Georgia provides further proof of the necessity of immediate deployment of an additional contingent of EU observer mission and OSCE military observers and speedy withdrawal of Russian occupation troops from this territory. (MFA.GOV.GE)