Public Defender: Two decades on, August War still impacts residents in occupied areas and near occupation line

“18 years have passed since the August 2008 Russo-Georgian War. Almost two decades on from the end of hostilities, its consequences continue to impact the daily lives of populations both inside the occupied territories and adjacent to the occupation line,” reads a statement issued by the Public Defender.

As noted in the statement, the ongoing violation of the right to life and the prevailing culture of impunity are further highlighted by the European Court of Human Rights ruling of June 23, 2026, which held the Russian Federation responsible for the torture and murder of Giorgi Antsukhelidze and other Georgian military personnel.

“A critical challenge remains the practice of unlawful detentions and imprisonment by the occupation regimes for alleged ‘illegal border crossings’ towards both occupied Abkhazia and the occupied Tskhinvali region.

According to official data, between 2008 and 2026, Russian occupation forces unlawfully detained 3,664 individuals, 2,062 towards occupied Abkhazia and 1,602 towards the occupied Tskhinvali region. As for unlawful imprisonment, as of 2026, 11 Georgian citizens remain unlawfully detained in the occupied Tskhinvali region, and 6 citizens towards occupied Abkhazia.

Access to mother-tongue education in the occupied territories remains another acute challenge. In all primary schools across occupied Gali and Akhalgori, teaching in Georgian has been completely banned, and the native tongue has been relegated to a foreign language and literature subject, resulting in a year-on-year decline in pupil numbers. Furthermore, instances of ethnic persecution and psychological pressure exerted by representatives of the de facto regimes against schoolchildren and teachers continue unabated.

Such unlawful actions carried out by the occupation regime grossly violate the rights and freedoms of the population residing in the occupied territories, underscoring once again the imperative of allowing international human rights monitoring missions access to these regions.

The Public Defender of Georgia stands ready, within the scope of his mandate, to foster dialogue and strengthen cooperation focused on the protection of human rights,” the Public Defender’s statement reads.