Today, the citizens’ association “Anti-Annexation Platform” was established at the Tbilisi Marriott Hotel.

At the event, the platform adopted a declaration titled: “No to Occupation and De Facto Annexation - Yes to Justice, Peace and Georgia’s Territorial Integrity.”

The platform’s declaration states that it is completely non-political and is ready to cooperate with members of any political party.

“We, the citizens of Georgia, who are uniting as a non-partisan association and for whom Georgia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, the principles of international law, freedom and human dignity are the highest values, hereby declare the establishment of the Citizens’ Anti-Annexation Platform.

“We are united by the firm belief that occupation in any form carried out by the Russian Federation, the de facto annexation of the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions, the promotion of separatism and the forcible implementation of demographic changes in the occupied regions constitute gross violations of international law and fundamental human rights.

“The Anti-Annexation Platform is a non-partisan and voluntary association of Georgian citizens whose goal is to act through legal, public and peaceful means against Russia’s occupation and annexation policies, protect the rights of internally displaced persons from Georgia’s occupied regions, and strengthen the principles of international law.

Objectives of the Platform:

Supporting Georgia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty based on universally recognized norms and principles of international law;Strengthening the principle of non-recognition of the ongoing occupation and de facto annexation by the Russian Federation, as well as the so-called independence of the occupied regions, and promoting the legal assessment of the seizure of Georgian territories through the use of force;Protecting the rights of internally displaced persons and refugees from the occupied territories;Initiating international criminal prosecutions against the leaders of puppet regimes in the occupied regions, as well as individuals facilitating the annexation process;Conducting legal research and analysis on these issues;Raising public awareness about Russian hybrid and annexation threats;Supporting and protecting the rights of people affected by the ongoing de facto annexation;Actively cooperating with Georgia’s international partners and the diplomatic corps on the risks of annexation and issues related to occupation;Supporting the peaceful and legal resolution of conflicts.

Key Areas of the Platform’s Activities:

Preparing legal opinions and analytical documents on steps taken by Russia toward de facto annexation;Conducting research on international law and human rights;Organizing working meetings and coordination with international partners, think tanks and diplomatic missions;Organizing conferences, discussions and educational events;Raising awareness of issues concerning internally displaced persons from the occupied territories;Supporting the imposition of targeted sanctions on leaders of Russia’s puppet regimes and actors involved in the annexation process;Promoting the protection of the rights of people affected by de facto annexation and occupation.

Final Provision:

“We believe that the fight against occupation and de facto annexation by the Russian Federation is not merely a political issue. It is a struggle for justice, human dignity, historical truth and the security of future generations.

“The Citizens’ Anti-Annexation Platform is founded on the principles of peaceful coexistence, respect for international law and the protection of human rights.

“We declare that de facto or legal annexation carried out by Russia can never become a legitimate reality, while borders changed through violence can never gain moral or legal legitimacy.

‘No to occupation and de facto annexation - yes to justice, peace and Georgia’s territorial integrity!’” the platform’s declaration reads.

The declaration was signed by the founders of the Anti-Annexation Platform:

Vladimer Chachibaia - former Deputy Chief of the Joint Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces; Nodar Kharshiladze - former Deputy Minister of Defense and Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia, co-founder of the Center for Strategic Analysis (CSAC); Akia Barbakadze - retired colonel, former Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council of Georgia; Kakha Gogidze - film director; Paata Davitaia - Chairman of the “European Democrats of Georgia”; Nikoloz Vashakidze - former Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council of Georgia, First Deputy Foreign Minister and former First Deputy Defense Minister of Georgia; Mamuka Gamkrelidze - former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to China; Giorgi Melashvili - Director of the European-Georgian Institute (EGI); Irakli Tabliashvili - journalist.