The de facto South Ossetian authorites have again restricted the freedom of movement of the Akhalgori population across the territory controlled by Georgia. The Democracy Research Institute has learned that employees of budgetary organizations of the de facto South Ossetian republic, including schools, kindergartens, hospitals and the department of culture, have been banned from moving to Tbilisi. The ban does not apply only to technical personnel. The Russian so-called checkpoint, which supervises movement and enforcement of the ban, has also been informed about the movement restrictions.

This decision has caused dissatisfaction among the Akhalgori population. Citizens are expressing their needs for movement to Tbilisi, including via social networks and Telegram channels. One of the main reasons for the dissatisfaction is the need to receive medical services. The demand is due to the malfunctioning of the local health care system. The difficulties in local health care cannot be solved by transferring patients to Tbilisi in case of emergencies due to acute health care problems. In addition to medical needs, the restriction of movement poses a threat to family and kinship ties. The critical importance of maintaining family ties for communities along the South Ossetian Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) was emphasized at the meetings of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) in Ergneti. In addition, the temporary opening of the crossing point for Orthodox Easter, which allowed residents to have long-awaited meetings and access to religious sites, clearly demonstrated the impact of border closures on people’s daily lives.

It is also worth noting that there have been cases of resignations and favoritism relating to civil servants in the de facto republic regarding restrictions on movement, which once again highlights the selective and unfair application of the movement ban rules. Locals are also concerned about the fact that the district deputy, Zaza Dryaev, does not answer phone calls from residents relating to the movement ban in the Tbilisi direction.

For years, the issue of free movement across the South Ossetian Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) has remained one of the most pressing challenges. This issue has repeatedly been the subject of discussion in the format of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meetings.

The ongoing restrictions on movement significantly limit the ability of local residents to meet their daily needs. Against this background, it is essential to immediately and fully open all crossing points along the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL), with the active and effective engagement of the parties in the negotiation process.