More than 900 Georgian citizens detained along occupation line in 8 years
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915 people have been illegally detained for allegedly crossing the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between Georgia and its breakaway Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) since 2010.
Georgian news agency Interpressnews published this information based on data provided by the State Security Service of Georgia.
Russian border guards often detain those who intentionally or unintentionally cross the so-called border at locations that do not have barbed-wire fencing.
Detainees are then usually released after their families pay a fine.
The Georgian State Security Service says that this fine is generally around 2,000 rubles, which is about 88.80 GEL or $35.8 dollars or €34.02.
The Illegal detention of Georgian citizen Giorgi Giunashvili back in 2016 was one of the issues discussed today at a meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) in Ergneti.
An unrecognised court in Georgia's Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) sentenced Giunashvili to 20 years imprisonment last month.
Participants of today's IPRM meeting are starting to gather in Ergneti village. Photo by EUMM
The IPRM was created in February 2009 following the 2008 Russia-Georgia conflict to address security concerns and ensure the protection of human rights in the occupied regions.
The meetings are an opportunity to identify and discuss potential risks and follow-up on incidents affecting the communities along the ABL on a daily basis.
- Want to know more about the lives of people living along the ABL? Read the article ‘Georgia: Easter behind barbed wire’ by Lali Tsertsvadze in the Special Reports’ section on Agenda.ge.
The illegal detention of Georgian citizens near the ABL is a common issue, particularly in spring and summer when residents tend to grazing cattle or to pick jonjoli (a variety of capers), mushrooms and firewood.
It is not always obvious where the occupation line has been demarcated, because Russian occupation forces keep changing the so-called borders. This process is informally referred to as "creeping occupation”.
Russian border guards patrolling the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between the Russian-occupied region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and the rest of Georgia illegally have detained a Georgian man for allegedly crossing the so-called border.
Three men detained in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) have been released today.
An 18-year-old Georgian teenager who was kidnapped earlier today by Russian occupational soldiers has been released.
A Georgian man has been illegally detained by Russian-controlled border guards stationed at the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) separating de facto Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region from the rest of Georgia.
The men were arrested earlier yesterday by de facto Tskhinvali "border” guards, who accused them of illegally crossing the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL).
Russian "border guards” patrolling the Administrative Boundary Line between the occupied region of Tskhinvali and the rest of Georgia have illegally detained a Georgian man for the third time for allegedly crossing the so-called "border”.
Three people kidnapped in Georgia’s eastern municipality of Gori located near Russian occupied Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) have been released from illegal detention.
Georgian officials, representatives of international organisations and the de-facto authorities from Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) have gathered around the table in Ergneti to discuss issues that concern people living along the occupation line today.
The 84th meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) has been held in Ergneti, in the village within Georgia’s eastern occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region.
The report says that 126 Georgian citizens were illegally detained by Russia-controlled border guards last year at the Georgia-breakaway Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) occupation line and 52 others at the Georgia-occupied Abkhazia so-called boundary line.
Democracy Research Institute (DRI) NGO has reported that 51-year-old Georgian citizen Genadi Bestayev has been illegally sentenced to two years in prison in Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region for ‘illegally crossing the border and possession of drugs.’
Genadi Bestaev, illegally detained by the Russian occupation forces in November 2019 for 'illegally crossing the border and possession of drugs', has been sentenced to three years in prison by the so-called Tskhinvali court, reports the State Security Service of Georgia.
Georgian citizen Ramaz Begheluri, who was illegally detained by Russian-controlled occupation forces for ‘illegally crossing the border’ near the Tskhinvali region on February 2, 2021 has been released earlier today, the Georgian State Security Service has reported.
Two Georgian citizens illegally detained by the occupation forces near the Russian-occupied Georgian region of Tskhinvali have been released. Goga Metreveli, Roman Gochashvili and Nikoloz Pekshvelashvili were detained on October 4. However, the latter was released yesterday amid the multiple injuries he received in his attempt to escape.