TBILISI, Georgia – Georgia filed its third lawsuit against Russia at the European Court of Human Rights, the Georgian Justice Ministry said in a statement on Aug. 22.

According to the ministry, the lawsuit was lodged on August 21.

It said that Georgia is suing the Russian Federation in relation to “massive harassment of the Georgian population” in Abkhazia and South Ossetia and detentions of Georgian citizens along the line of occupation.

The lawsuit also mentions Georgian citizen Gigi Otkhozoria, who was killed by an Abkhazian border guard in 2016, and Georgian citizen Archil Tatunashvili, who died in Tskhinval in February 2018. Tbilisi believes that Tatunashvili was tortured and murdered and blames Russia for this and other incidents.

In a statement, the ministry said, “Georgia demands that the European Court hold Russia to account for violating articles of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.”

Georgia accused Russia of violating the European Convention’s Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) and Article 18 (limitation on use of restrictions on rights).

Georgia has brought two other legal actions against Russia at the European Court of Human Rights. The first concerned mass deportations of Georgians from Russia, on which the court ruled in Georgia’s favor. A judgment on the second lawsuit, which has to do with the war in August 2008, is pending.