Przewodnicząca. – Kolejnym punktem porządku dziennego jest debata nad pięcioma projektami rezolucji w sprawie zabójstwa obywatela Gruzji Tamaza Ginturiego przez rosyjskie oddziały okupacyjne w Gruzji ()1.
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¹ Patrz protokół posiedzenia.
Miriam Lexmann, author. – Madam President, Commission, colleagues, let me start by thanking my dear friend Anna Fotyga and all colleagues for excellent cooperation on drafting this resolution. I believe the strong text is a testimony to this House’s steadfast support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the protection of human rights.
I fundamentally condemn the brutal murder of Tamaz Ginturi. Let me be clear: this horrific act, as well as all acts of murder, kidnapping, illegal abduction and torture of Georgian citizens are the direct responsibility of the Russian occupation forces. They would not happen if not for the occupation of Georgian sovereign territory. This is why all those responsible must be held accountable, including through targeted sanctions. But above all, Russia must cease its illegal occupation.
We stand by Georgia; support the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of its people; and condemn all efforts by Russia and its proxies to undermine these goals.
Sven Mikser, author. – MadamPresident, colleagues, on the eve of his country receiving the EU candidate candidacy status, a Georgian citizen, Tamaz Ginturi, was killed by Russian occupying forces on the administrative boundary line between Georgian-controlled territory and the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region.
While the killing was a particularly brutal and violent crime committed by the occupants, it was far from an isolated event. Since Russia launched an aggression against Georgia and seized parts of its sovereign territory in 2008, there has been a constant stream of similar incidents, where Georgian citizens, local residents, have been harassed, where their human rights have been violated, the freedom of movement has been illegally restricted.
Simultaneously, the Russian occupying forces and the so-called authorities of the illegal entities that they have propped up are moving on with a creeping annexation, modernisation and passportisation.
Today, the EU monitoring mission is the only permanent international presence that operates close to the administrative boundary line, monitoring the situation on the ground. As such, it plays an important role in providing a modicum of stability in a tense and fragile situation. It is extremely important that we provide the EUMM with adequate resources that are urgently needed for it to carry out its mission.
The US always supported and will always support Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. But while we demand the end to the occupation and the restoration of Georgia’s territorial integrity, we should also do more to hold those immediate perpetrators of the human rights violations accountable. For that end, we call on the Council to put together, in consultation with Georgian authorities, a list of individuals responsible for the human rights violations and impose effective targeted sanctions against them.
Petras Auštrevičius, author. – Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, the Russian occupation of 20% of the territory of Georgia is direct evidence of war crimes and a violation of the territorial integrity of Georgia. The occupying Russian authorities are pursuing an active policy of provocation, constantly expanding the occupied territories, abducting and terrorising the local population.
Tamaz Ginturi, a 58-year-old Georgian citizen, is the latest victim of the Russian occupiers. He was murdered in cold blood while visiting his father’s grave. Levan Dotiashvili, who was with him, was illegally captured.
The crimes of the Russian occupiers must be met with strong condemnation by the international community and further legal action, as well as EU sanctions against those responsible for serious human rights violations.
Markéta Gregorová, author. – Madam President, dear colleagues, dear Georgian friends, first, allow me to express my condolences to Tamaz Ginturi’s beloved – my thoughts are with you.
I do not make differences between one forcefully taken innocent life or thousands. It should be met with an equally strong reaction. When Russian troops started to shoot our Ukrainian neighbours, we were quick to react and sanction. There is another occupied country in our neighbourhood whose citizens get murdered and abducted by Russia. Is Georgia further? Yes. Does it matter? No.
I urge the Council to add to the next sanction package or to a new one, those responsible for the death of Tamaz and for the suffering of Georgians. Kremlin wants them to live in fear, to give up their European path. Give them courage, and Putin will lose.
Anna Fotyga, author. – Madam President, I would like to thank all co-authors, real friends of Georgia, for excellent cooperation on this resolution, as well as very valuable contributions to final text that I hope will be voted positively.
Tamaz Ginturi, a veteran of war waged by Russia on Georgia in 2008, was killed by Russian forces near the administrative boundary line while heading to church with his companion, who was later captured and detained. We name in the resolution names of other victims, but our call is to establish the EU sanction list, similar to Otkhozoria-Tatunashvili, the Georgian list, that is to lead us in imposing sanctions for these kinds of actions against civilians and the ordinary people of Georgia, patriots of this country.
Ryszard Czarnecki, w imieniu grupy ECR. – Pani Przewodnicząca! Pani Komisarz! Trzy kraje, które kandydują do Unii Europejskiej, a więc Gruzja, Mołdawia i Ukraina to kraje, których część terytorium zajmuje Rosja. W Mołdawii jest to Naddniestrze. W Ukrainie wiadomo – Krym, Donieck i Ługańsk. Wiadomo też, że w Gruzji to Abchazja i Osetia Południowa. I śmierć, o której dzisiaj mówimy, pokazuje, czym jest rosyjska okupacja, czym jest Rosja.
Dobrze, że w tej sprawie mówimy jednym głosem. Ale też trzeba jasno powiedzieć, że musimy mieć dla państw, które chcą do nas przyjść, a są dawnymi republikami postsowieckimi, specjalny plan, tak aby siły prorosyjskie tam słabły, a siły proeuropejskie tam się wzmacniały. I myślę, że to może być elementem podziękowania dla tych Gruzinów, którzy zginęli w walce o wolność.
Zgłoszenia z sali
Michaela Šojdrová (PPE). – MadamPresident, colleagues, on 8November, the Commission recommended to grant a candidate status to Georgia. Two days before this announcement, a Georgian citizen, Tamaz Ginturi, was killed by Russian occupying forces. He was shot dead for driving a car in his home country after visiting a cemetery and church. Another lost life in the evil of Russia.
This is a sad example of how Russia is casting its shadow also over countries such as Georgia. It also represents an imminent threat to the integration process of this country. Currently, 20% of Georgia’s internationally recognised territory is under Russian military occupation. We once again repeat our support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity under the international recognised border. Russia must fulfil the obligation under the 2008 ceasefire agreement and withdraw its troops from the country. We demand the release of all Georgian citizens in the illegal custody of the occupation regime, and to impose targeted sanctions on those responsible.
Jiří Pospíšil (PPE). – Paní předsedající, já chci poděkovat kolegům, že vraždu Tamaze Ginturiho jasně interpretují v souvislostech chování putinovského Ruska. Ginturi je obětí putinovského Ruska stejně jako tisíce a dnes možná desetitisíce ukrajinských civilistů, kteří jsou zavražděni tímto šíleným režimem. My musíme vnímat, jak se Rusko chová v oblastech zemí bývalého Sovětského svazu, jak se snaží tyto země destabilizovat, podporovat tam různé nedemokratické režimy anebo přímo na ně útočí, viz případ Ukrajiny. Ginturi je obětí Putina, je obětí putinovského Ruska. Takto je třeba to vnímat a pořád připomínat. Protože pokud zapomeneme, co Putin a Rusko dělá, může bohužel dojít k tomu, že Putin vyhraje, porazí Ukrajinu a začne bezprostředně přímo ohrožovat Evropu a Evropskou unii.
(Koniec zgłoszeń z sali)
Dubravka Šuica,Vice-President of the Commission. – Madam President, honourable Members, this year marks 15 years of Russia’s illegal presence in Georgia, since the war in 2008. The European Union’s commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Georgia is as strong as ever. We condemn Russia’s continued military presence in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which violates international law and the commitments undertaken by Russia.
Local communities continue to suffer from humanitarian challenges and human rights violations. The killing of Tamaz Ginturi is yet another blatant violent violation of human rights committed by Russian Federation border guards in Georgia. This adds to the list of Russia’s illegal activities in the Georgian-occupied breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and demonstrates the deterioration of the human rights situation there. Such actions include fencing along South Ossetia administrative boundary line, repeated and protracted closures of crossing points, as well as the use of force and illegal and arbitrary detentions of Georgian citizens.
Russia’s effective control of South Ossetia and Abkhazia continues to violate several provisions of the European Convention of Human Rights. This was underlined by the European Court of Human Rights’ judgment in the interstate case concerning the armed conflict between Georgia and the Russian Federation in August 2008. Since October 2008, the European Union has been fully engaged in conflict resolution efforts in Georgia. It has done so in the capacity of co-chair in the Geneva international discussions and through the efforts of the European Union’s Special Representative.
The European Union monitoring mission, present in Georgia for 15 years now, remains the only legitimate international presence on the ground. The mission has played a central role, among others, in enabling the communication among the parties involved, deescalating tensions on the ground and monitoring the situation following the killing and illegal detention of two Georgian citizens.
The European Union reconfirms its commitment to stabilisation and conflict resolution in Georgia and reiterates its firm support to the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia within its internationally recognised borders. We urge all parts of this conflict to engage constructively in the discussions to achieve the full implementation of the six-point agreement of 2008, and we urge Russia to fulfil all its obligations. The European Union’s Special Representative will insist once again on the European Union’s expectations during the Geneva international discussions this December.
Przewodnicząca. – Zamykam debatę.
Głosowanie odbędzie się w czwartek 23 listopada 2023 r.