Protesters gathered on Rustaveli Avenue in front of the Parliament building on May 19, 2023 to rally against the resumption of direct flights with Russia. The photo, taken by Guram Muradov for Civil.ge, captures the frustration and anger of the people as they voice their concerns.
The reason for this protest is the alarming increase in visits to and from the occupied region of Abkhazia and the rest of Georgia in the first half of 2024. According to Russian state media, citing the Russian Statistics Service, the number of visits to Russia from the occupied region of Tskhinvali has also increased.
Occupied Abkhazia has taken the second spot on the list of destinations visited by Russians this year, with 2.1 million visits, a 2.5% increase from the previous year. Visits to the rest of Georgia (excluding the occupied Tskhinvali region) have also increased, reaching 498.5 thousand, a 31.3% increase from last year.
The alarming trend continues as the number of visits to Russia from occupied Abkhazia has also increased, with 339.6 thousand visits, ranking second on the list after China. The occupied Tskhinvali region is also present in the top 10 list of places from which visits to Russia were made.
According to the Federal State Statistics Service of Russia, visits from Georgia (excluding the occupied territories) have increased by 2.4 times, reaching 75.5 thousand, placing Georgia in the top 10.
This is a clear indication that the resumption of direct flights with Russia has only benefited the occupiers, while the rest of Georgia continues to suffer. It is a betrayal of our sovereignty and a violation of our territorial integrity.
We demand that the government takes immediate action to stop this alarming trend and protect our country from further harm. We will not stand idly by as our country is being used for the benefit of the occupiers. It is time for the government to prioritize the interests of its own people and put an end to this dangerous situation.
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