Ex-PM Gakharia's party accuses government of silence over Russia's occupation on war anniversary

Georgia's opposition party For Georgia, founded by former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, has accused the ruling Georgian Dream government of failing to respond adequately to Russia's continued occupation of Georgian territory on the 18th anniversary of the 2008 Russia-Georgia war.

In a statement on Friday, the party said Russia's military intervention in 2008 resulted in the occupation of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and the Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia), paying tribute to those who died defending the country.

The party said Russia's aggression continues today, alleging that Moscow has accelerated what it described as the de facto annexation of the occupied Tskhinvali region.

According to the statement, rather than mobilising international support in response to those developments, the Georgian Dream government has chosen to blame its political opponents while responding to the alleged annexation process with "criminal silence."

The party also criticised the government's recent focus on what it describes as "Russophobia," arguing that ruling party officials have devoted more attention to that issue than to Russia's occupation and its consequences for Georgian citizens.

The party called on the international community to continue firmly supporting Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity and to condemn what it described as the ongoing annexation of the occupied territories.