At its September meeting on the interstate cases “Georgia v. Russia,” the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe reviewed the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, according to the Ministry of Justice of Georgia.
The ministry noted that, on Tbilisi’s initiative and with its active participation, the Committee reaffirmed its support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders and called on the Russian Federation to:
- fulfill its international obligations and withdraw its armed forces from Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region;
- halt the so-called “borderisation,” ensure the free and safe movement of the population, access to property, and the opportunity to receive education in the Georgian language in the occupied regions;
- create conditions for the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of internally displaced persons to their homes, as well as end the practice of killings, abductions, torture, unlawful detentions, and other grave violations.
“Georgia has already achieved historic victories against Russia in Strasbourg—including in cases concerning the deportations, the August 2008 war, and the ‘continuing occupation,'” the press release noted.
In addition, the Ministry of Justice stated that the Georgian authorities are actively working through all legal and diplomatic mechanisms to ensure that the Strasbourg court’s rulings are fully implemented and that justice for the victims is restored.