"Tired of bestial treatment": Ukrainians stuck on the border protest in Georgia

Sent from Russian citizens of Ukraine, stuck in the buffer zone of the Georgian border post in Upper Lars, came out to protest. On July 20, at about 22:30 Moscow time, they broke out of the basement where they were being held.

About 70 people demand from Georgia that they be allowed into the Duty Free zone, where they could "at least buy bottled water." This was reported to Novaya Gazeta Europa❶ by the Ukrainians themselves.

Georgia does not allow these people, most of whom have previously served sentences in the Russian Federation, as it believes that they pose a threat to national security. They are kept in the basement at the checkpoint. The interlocutors note that there is not enough humanitarian aid from the Red Cross, they are let out on the street for a few minutes a day for "two or three people".

Men awaiting further deportation to In Ukraine, they also demanded that healthy people and those with tuberculosis be separated into different rooms, and declare that they are "tired of bestial treatment."

Volunteers helping them report a shortage of medicines, food and hygiene products. There is a risk of tuberculosis spreading.

"People now sleep in several shifts, the average lasts four hours. There is absolutely not enough space: there are at best 20 beds. And people are really starting to go crazy," the activists say.

As EADaily reported, in the basement of the Georgian checkpoint "Upper Lars" on the border with North Ossetia, there are citizens of Ukraine waiting for documents and tickets "to return to their homeland through third countries." On other terms in They are not allowed into Georgia. Most of the deportees do not have international passports — only certificates of release from Russian correctional facilities and temporary identity cards.

Previously, they could return through Moldova, but since July 1, Chisinau has also closed their transit.

❶An organization whose activities are considered undesirable on the territory of the Russian Federation