On November 6, a Georgian citizen died following an attempt of illegal arrest by Russian-controlled occupation forces near a village adjacent to the occupied Tskhinvali/South Ossetia region in central Georgia, with another Georgian national detained, the State Security Service of Georgia reported. The Service said the death had occurred following firearm shots by the occupation forces during their attempt at illegal detention of the deceased citizen. It added that the incident had taken place in the occupied territory adjacent to the village of Kirbali in central Georgia’s Gori municipality. 

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili called on the international community to make an appropriate assessment and response to the death of a Georgian citizen. He said the incident confirmed the challenging security environment in the occupied territories. He also called on representatives of the de facto authorities in the occupied territories to cooperate with all parties to identify and punish the perpetrator.

Similarly, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili said she was profoundly outraged by the death of a citizen. She called on the international community to unequivocally condemn Russia's actions that she said had blatantly and shamelessly violated all international norms.

The Georgian government requested a technical meeting with the participation of representatives of the Russian occupation forces administering Georgia’s occupied Tskhinvali region and the European Union Monitoring mission. After the meeting, Irakli Antadze, the Deputy Head of the Analytical Department of the Georgian State Security Service, said the country’s authorities had demanded the immediate release of a Georgian citizen illegally detained by occupation forces and the punishment of individuals responsible for the killing of another national of the country in the same incident. Antadze said the government could not accept the incident, which had no human justification. He also pointed out that the Service was awaiting a response from the occupying forces on its request to release the detained citizen as soon as possible. He added that the de facto authorities had told his office that the arrested national was feeling well.

The European Union Monitoring mission expressed its concern. It condemned in the strongest terms the use of force in any form after a Georgian citizen died following an illegal arrest attempt by occupation forces. It also called on all parties involved to prevent further escalations, exercise restraint, and take all necessary measures. It noted that the mission was closely monitoring the situation while working to defuse tensions, including through the extensive use of the EUMM-managed hotline to exchange information surrounding the shooting.

Matthew Miller, the Spokesperson for the United States Department of State, condemned the killing of a Georgian citizen by Russia’s occupying forces.

Josep Borrell, the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs, said the bloc strongly condemned the killing of a Georgian citizen and the detention of another one by Russian occupying forces near a village adjacent to central Georgia's occupied Tskhinvali. In a social media message, the top EU diplomat stressed that the Russian military presence in the Georgian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali was illegal.

On November 7, Marija Pejčinović Burić, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, condemned the killing of a Georgian citizen by Russian occupying forces. In a social media message, the official sent her condolences to the family and the Georgian authorities and called for the release of the other Georgian national who was illegally detained in the incident.