The European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia issued a statement on the death of Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili at the hands of Russian-backed Tskhinvali authorities, extending condolences to the family of the deceased, and pledging to support the ongoing investigations into the matter.
According to the statement, the EUMM, “in its monitoring capacity and in line with its mandate, continues to follow developments closely.” “The Mission Hotline has been and continues to be actively used for communication regarding this tragic event,” the Mission said.
The EUMM added that “it is of paramount importance” to establish cooperation “so all necessary documentation is exchanged to ascertain the cause of death of the deceased,” and that it looks forward to “to full, thorough and transparent examinations” into the death of Archil Tatunashvili.
“The EUMM stands ready to support ongoing investigations and to facilitate discussions through the Ergneti Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism, which is co-chaired by the EUMM and the OSCE, or any other appropriate format participants may agree to,” reads the statement.
The EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia, which was mandated to oversee the implementation of the 2008 Russian-Georgian ceasefire agreement, has unarmed monitors on the ground, but was never allowed access to either Abkhazia or South Ossetia/Tskhinvali Region.