Young Georgians organized a protest in the village of Khurvaleti, which is located in the conflict zone between Georgia and South Ossetia.
The protesters demanded that the international community pay more attention to the situation in the occupied territories of Georgia.
The action was organized by the youth movement "Dare to Care" and took place on August 7, on the anniversary of the start of the 2008 war.
About 50 young people gathered in Khurvaleti, which is located just a few hundred meters from the occupation line.
The protesters held banners with slogans such as "Stop Russian occupation", "Georgia will be united" and "We remember 2008".
"We are talking about a creeping occupation of Georgia by Russia. Every day, the occupation line moves deeper into Georgian territory," said one of the organizers of the protest.
The participants of the action emphasized that the international community should pay more attention to the situation in the occupied territories of Georgia.
"The world should know what is happening here. Russia continues to violate international law and occupy Georgian territories," said another participant.
The protest was peaceful and lasted about an hour. No incidents were reported.
The village of Khurvaleti is located in the Gori municipality, near the administrative boundary line with South Ossetia.
After the 2008 war, many residents of the village became internally displaced persons (IDPs).
The so-called "borderization" process, carried out by Russian forces, has affected many villages in the region, including Khurvaleti.
As a result of this process, many residents have lost access to their agricultural lands, family graves, and in some cases, their homes.
The youth movement "Dare to Care" was founded in 2018 and focuses on raising awareness about the situation in Georgia's occupied territories.
The movement organizes various actions and campaigns to draw international attention to the ongoing occupation.
According to Georgian authorities, about 20% of Georgia's territory is currently under Russian occupation.
The regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia declared independence after armed conflicts in the 1990s and 2008, but their independence is recognized only by Russia and a few other countries.
The European Union, the United States, and most of the international community consider these territories to be occupied by Russia.
The international community has repeatedly condemned Russia's actions in Georgia and called for the withdrawal of Russian forces from the occupied territories.
However, despite numerous resolutions and statements, the situation on the ground has not changed significantly.
The European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) continues to monitor the situation along the administrative boundary lines.
The Geneva International Discussions, co-chaired by the EU, UN, and OSCE, provide a forum for dialogue between the parties to the conflict.
Despite these efforts, progress in resolving the conflict has been limited.