UPDATED: Georgian woman abducted by occupants has been beaten, family says

Updated: 18:25

Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria has released a post on Facebook, which reads that her office has received information that Maia Otinashvili, who was abducted by Russia-controlled so-called border guards on 29 September, has been beaten.

We understood from the family of the abducted woman that Otinashvili, who is now in prison in occupied TskhinvalI, was beaten on the Russian military base in Kardzmani village.

Even though Otinashvili has a lawyer he was not allowed to see the detainee. None of the independent observers were permitted to see her, which gives credibility to the family’s suspicion that she has been beaten,” Lomjaria posted.

Otinashvili’s husband and mother say that the source they received the information from is “reliable”. However, they are “desperate” to know whether the information is genuine as no one from the central

Georgian government or from the European Union Monitoring Mission were allowed into the prison. 

We are asking the government to help us receive genuine information about the health condition of my wife,” husband says. 

He told the media that the Russia-controlled forces were on the territory of Georgia and that they had ambushed and tried to kidnap someone from Tbilisi-administered territory on the day when they abducted his wife.  

Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze made a second statement regarding the abduction today and stated he expected the issue to be settled today, however this did not occur. 

I tasked the foreign minister to meet with the representatives of  foreign organisations and diplomatic corps today and provide them with all detailed information concerning the case. We must do our utmost to ensure the immediate return of the mother of three little kids to her family,” Bakhtadze said. 

Updated: 16:13

The Georgian State Security Service has stated that 37-year-old Maia Otinashvili, who was abducted by Russia-controlled so-called border guards on 29 September, was sentenced to 10-day pre-trial detention, not to two months as was reported earlier by the so-called security council of occupied Tskhinvali.
 
The State Security Service reported that they received the information from the representative of the breakaway Tskhinvali de facto government Egor Kochiev via a hotline.

 Kochiev said that Otinashvili was sentenced to 10-day pre-trial detention. We are doing our utmost to achieve the release of the Georgian citizen in the shortest time,” the State Security Service said.
 

Earlier: 13:55

Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze says that the government is working 24 hours a day to achieve the release of 37-year-old Georgian citizen Maia Otinashvili, who has been abducted by Russia-controlled forces and  was sent to two-month pre-trial detention by the Akhalgori court in occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) yesterday. 

Unfortunately, the occupation regime is proceeding with its aggressive policy and undermining fundamental human rights.

We are working with our partners to establish the mechanism to prevent such issues and in most cases such mechanisms work,” Bakhtadze said.

He said that the Ministry of Reconciliation and Civil Equality of Georgia  and the European Union Monitoring Mission are doing their utmost to return Otinashvili to her family and three little kids.

It is a very grave incident and we have mobilised all the resources which were available,” Bakhtadze said.

Otinashvili was abducted from her agricultural land on 29 September from the village of Khurvaleti near the occupation line.

The Akhalgori court sent Otinashvili to two-month pre-trial detention for “illegally crossing the border” and for aiding others to do the same.