Georgian Foreign Ministry condemns sham presidential vote in occupied Tskhinvali region

Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a formal statement regarding the so-called presidential elections staged in the occupied Tskhinvali region.

In its declaration, the Ministry fundamentally condemned the illegal vote, stressing that conducting such proceedings directly violates the core principles and peremptory norms of international law.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia unequivocally condemns the so-called presidential elections held in the occupied Tskhinvali region on 18 September 2026.

Staging these pseudo-elections flouts fundamental norms and principles of international law. It can neither confer legitimacy upon the occupying regime nor alter the established international-legal status of the Tskhinvali region as an integral part of Georgia.

Conducting any so-called elections on Georgia’s occupied territories under conditions of military occupation and effective control by the Russian Federation, while hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons and refugees continue to be denied their fundamental right to a safe and dignified return to their homes, is entirely illegal and creates zero legal consequences internationally.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia categorically condemns the Russian Federation’s decision to open polling stations and host Russian State Duma elections across occupied Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region on 18–20 September 2026.

Opening and operating Russian polling places on Georgia’s sovereign territory without the explicit consent of the Georgian Government constitutes another grave violation of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, serving as yet another overt manifestation of Russia’s policy aimed at the creeping annexation of Georgia’s regions.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia urges the international community to deliver an unambiguous assessment, sternly denounce these unlawful actions by the Russian Federation, and ensure an appropriate political and legal response.

Georgia reaffirms its call upon international partners to stand firm in defence of Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, and to support the peaceful resolution of the conflict,” the Ministry’s official statement concluded.