The opposition party For Georgia has accused the Georgian government of remaining silent as what it describes as Russia’s annexation of the occupied Tskhinvali region enters an “active and extremely dangerous phase.”
In a statement released on Tuesday, the party said recent developments involving Moscow and the Russian-backed authorities in occupied South Ossetia indicate an acceleration of efforts toward the de facto annexation of the region by Russia.
The statement came after Russia’s State Duma approved a federal law initiated by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the ratification of an agreement on the “deepening of allied cooperation” between Russia and the self-proclaimed Republic of South Ossetia. Gakharia’s party says the move represents another step toward the integration of the occupied Georgian territory into Russia.
“The process of annexation of the Tskhinvali region by the Russian Federation has entered an active and extremely dangerous phase, taking place against the backdrop of the criminal silence and inaction of the Dream government,” the statement reads.
The party noted that the agreement was signed on May 9, describing the timing as “particularly symbolic and cynical,” given Russia’s annual Victory Day celebrations.
The Tskhinvali region, internationally recognized as part of Georgia, has remained under Russian military occupation since the August 2008 Russia-Georgia war. Following the conflict, Moscow recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia — a move rejected by Tbilisi and most of the international community, which continues to recognize both territories as integral parts of Georgia.
Since the war, Georgia and Russia have participated in the Geneva International Discussions, launched in 2008 with the mediation of the EU, UN and OSCE to address security and humanitarian issues stemming from the conflict. Parallel to this, the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) has served as a platform for addressing developments along the occupation line, including detentions, security incidents and humanitarian concerns.
Opposition party says the Georgian government has maintained “criminal silence” regarding discussions held within both the IPRM format and the Geneva talks, as well as recent remarks by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, who said Moscow was confidentially working on relocating the Geneva negotiations to what she described as “neutral territory.”
The party further argued that recent actions and rhetoric by the ruling Georgian Dream government raise concerns over a possible alignment with Russian narratives. It pointed to the Chorchana case, recent statements concerning a possible “apology,” and what it described as attempts to portray Georgia as responsible for the August 2008 war.
The Chorchana case refers to the placement of a Georgian police checkpoint near the village of Chorchana in 2019 during the premiership of former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia. The move triggered tensions with the Russian-backed authorities in occupied Tskhinvali, who accused Georgia of escalating the situation. Georgian authorities at the time argued the checkpoint was necessary to prevent creeping occupation and strengthen security in the area.
Gakharia’s party also criticized the ongoing criminal prosecution of the former prime minister, claiming he is being targeted for actions taken to defend Georgian territory and halt Russia’s gradual encroachment near the occupation line.
The opposition party called on the government to “exit the regime of criminal silence and inaction,” urging authorities to provide a clear response and mobilize international partners and diplomatic formats to prevent what it described as the annexation of Georgia’s occupied Tskhinvali region.
The Georgian government has not yet publicly responded to the statement.
