Illegally detained Georgian citizen released from Tskhinvali prison
Alan Japaridze, who was detained for so-called ‘illegally crossing the border’, has received a one-year conditional sentence. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Georgian citizen Alan Japaridze has been released from the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali prison after a four-month detention.
Japaridze, who received a one-year conditional sentence by the de facto Supreme Court, was handed over to the Georgian authorities at the Ergneti village near the occupied Tskhinvali yesterday.
The de facto Tskhinvali security committee has reported that Japaridze, 45, was detained on January 10 for so-called ‘illegally crossing the border’.
However, the Georgian State Security Service (SSS) says Tskhinvali informed them of Japaridze’s detention via the hotline on April 21.
The SSS also noted that they were in ‘constant communication’ with the Tskhinvali occupying regime via the hotline since then, while the European Union Monitoring Mission was also ‘actively engaged’ in the process.
Russia recognised the independence of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions after the 2008 Russia-Georgia war. Photo: TASS
The arbitrary detention of Georgian citizens by Russian occupation forces near the occupation line is a common issue. Detainees are mostly released after their families pay a fine.The standard fine is 2,000 Russian rubles ($27 USD).
As of now three Georgian citizens - Zaza Gakheladze, Genadi Bestaev and Lasha Khetereli - remain in illegal detention in occupied Tskhinvali.
One Georgian citizen has been detained, while another has been sent to illegal pretrial detention by the Russian-controlled de facto government of Tskhinvali, the Georgian State Security Service reports.
Georgian citizen Malkhaz Vanishvili (Kurtaevi), who lives in the village of Khurvaleti near Russia-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region, attempted suicide on January 19 after occupation forces forcibly have separated him from his pregnant wife, Tatia Adikashvili, several months ago.
The State Security Service (SSS) of Georgia says that the first signs of illegal 'borderisation' - which is an outcome of the Russian occupation - were detected back in 2009, while the illegal process has been actively underway since 2011.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili who met with the family of Zaza Gakheladze, a Georgian citizen illegally detained and sentenced by the Russia-backed occupying forces in Tskhinvali, said the government spares no efforts to release him as soon as possible.
Georgian citizen Lasha Khetereli, who was illegally detained by de facto authorities of Georgia's Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region for “illegally crossing” the so-called “border” last year, was released on Tuesday, Georgia’s State Security Service said.