The Democracy Research Institute is closely monitoring the recent situation in Akhalgori. Unfortunately, due to the lack of Georgian Government’s effective control over the territory of South Ossetia and the systematic disregard for human rights standards, it is difficult to disclose the names and stories of specific individuals, so the Democracy Research Institute is limited to general information only.

The de facto authorities of South Ossetia continue to harass Georgian representatives of the education and culture spheres living in Akhalgori and to restrict their freedom of movement. In some cases, the movement ban applies not only to movement in the direction of Tbilisi, but also to crossing the border of the Russian Federation. In April, a Georgian teacher was banned from traveling to Russia and is being prosecuted on grounds unknown to the public.

According to the Democracy Research Institute, restrictions on freedom of movement are not the only form of pressure. The de facto security service of South Ossetia has recently shown interest towards representatives of the cultural sphere as well. In particular, an experienced cultural worker was summoned for questioning relating to the alleged removal of artefacts of cultural and historical significance from South Ossetia.

It is important to assess whether these two cases of persecution and pressure, which took place in Akhalgori in recent weeks, may be seen as a tendency of "precision terror”directed against members of the local Georgian educational and creative intelligentsia. Tamar Mearakishvili, an Akhalgori-based teacher and civil activist, has the longest history of similar persecution and pressure, and her trial resumed last month after a fourteen-month break.

After the 2008 war, the Akhalgori district has been virtually abandoned by locals and the small part of the population that remains there obviously depends on the local educational and creative intelligentsia in terms of realizing and accessing their cultural and educational rights.

Destruction of the latter obviously means a denial of local Georgian population’s cultural and educational rights.