The Minister of Justice of Georgia – Tea Tsulukiani, and Deputy Minister – Gocha Lortkipanidze held a meeting in Tkviavi community center in Gori Municipality with women affected by the conflict in 2008 and those living along the occupational line. The meeting was also attended by the mothers of those who lost their lives in the war and other women who were directly impacted by the armed conflict. The lives of these individuals, as well as of many others, have been significantly impacted by the war, as they have lost loved ones as a result of the Russian-Georgian war.
At the meeting, the Minister of Justice and her Deputy discussed the disputes ongoing in international courts regarding investigations into crimes committed during the August war. The Ministry of Justice of Georgia is actively collaborating with the Hague International Criminal Tribunal on the investigation of August war crimes. The Hague International Criminal Tribunal is conducting an investigation into crimes committed during the Russian-Georgian war in August 2008, with a view to identifying and holding accountable those responsible for the ethnic cleansing of Georgian civilians, the torture and murder of Georgian POWs.
In addition, the Minister and her Deputy also discussed the second Russian-Georgian interstate dispute in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The final hearing in this matter took place on May 23, 2018, in Strasbourg. Since 2013, the Ministry of Justice of Georgia has submitted more than 700 documents to the court, documenting instances of mass ethnic cleansing, torture, property destruction and other violations of rights of Georgians.
Tea Tsulukiani and Gocha Lortkipanidze informed war-affected women and local residents about what Georgia can expect from these international courts, the dispute resolution processes and the steps the government, particularly the Ministry of Justice, is taking to resolve ongoing disputes against Russia in international courts. Following the meeting, the Minister and her Deputy answered questions from attendees.
Some of the female attendees at the meeting are the characters of a special book published to mark the 10th anniversary of the August war – “sHEROes”. The authors of the publication are writer Salome Benidze and photographer Dina Oganova.
The main characters in “sHEROes” are women who experienced and participated in the events of the August war. In conjunction with the event, an exhibition of photographs from the book was arranged, which was viewed by the Minister of Justice – Tea Tsulukiani with other attendees. Copies of the book were donated to libraries at community centers in the areas near the occupational zone.
The idea for establishing these community centers near the occupational line was initiated by the Minister of Justice – Tea Tsulukiani. They are located in the villages of Tkviavi, Mejvriskhevi, Berdzenauli, Orsantia and Rukhi. Their purpose is to provide continuous public services for citizens affected by the conflict in these areas.
