Georgian Foreign Minister addressed the 131st Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe held in online format earlier on Friday.

David Zalkaliani called on the Russian Federation to stop gross human rights violations and withdraw illegally deployed troops from Georgia.

He focused on the current situation across Georgia’s occupied regions and underlined that Russia continues unlawful detention of Georgian locals, murders, installation of barbed wires and setting up the so-called border checkpoints.

“4 people, who tried to enter the territory controlled by the Georgian government, recently drowned in the Enguri River. The occupational Tskhinvali regime imprisoned Georgian citizen Zaza Gakheladze. I urge the international community to raise voice for Gakheladze’s immediate and unconditional release”, - said the Minister.