Officials discuss unlawful detention of Georgian citizens
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Conflict resolution experts have descended on the Georgian village of Ergneti to discuss issues that are plaguing the troubled region following the detention of Georgian citizens near the occupation line.
The 44th meeting within the frame of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) was held last evening.
Several issues were discussed at the meeting, including the issue of Georgian citizens being detained by so-called Russian borders guards.
It has been reported two of the arrested men were Besik Gelashvili and Giorgi Kharazishvili. The men live in the Kldistskharo village, in the Khashuri region.
The men were gathering capers in the forest near the occupation line in the Torcha village when they were arrested.
At today's meeting, the participants discussed the current security situation in the region and the recent issue of Georgian citizen detention, read a statement issued by the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) after the meeting.
"Work of the hotline was assessed as an effective tool to help solve specific issues, such as the case of releasing the detained journalists before the Easter holidays. In addition, the parties discussed a number of issues such as living conditions of the local population [and] accessibility on rural-agricultural lands,” the statement read.
Meanwhile before the meeting started, Gocha Ratiani of the Internal Ministry's Analytical Department said several issues would be discussed at the meeting.
"Of course, first of all we will protest the arrests of the journalists as well as detainment (of Georgian citizens) in general, which have been carried out lately. The issue of the people who are currently detained in the prison of occupied Tskhinvali will also be raised. In addition we will discuss the water communication problem in the village Koshka,” he said.
The South Ossetian side did not comment before entering the meeting. However it was reported today that the de-facto government of South Ossetia demanded the release of those accused in the Gori terrorist attacks in exchange for the Georgians detained in Tskhinvali prison.
Ratiani noted that this issue could not be solved easily and a number of details still needed to be discussed.
At today’s meeting the Georgian side offered an initiative to the Ossetian colleagues about a new mailing mechanism.
The IPRM was created in February 2009 as a result of the Geneva Discussions that followed the 2008 conflict in Georgia. The meetings are an opportunity to identify and discuss potential risks, the follow-up of incidents and issues affecting the communities on a daily basis. The meetings are co-facilitated by the OSCE and the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia.
Three Georgian women detained by Russian forces for allegedly illegally crossing the so-called border near South Ossetia have been released after paying a fine.
Russian soldiers have detained a fourth Georgian citizen in the Kareli district, which runs alongside the disputed border near South Ossetia.
Russian-led troops have abducted three local women who live in a village near the occupation line of the so-called South Ossetia.
Three Georgian journalists have been released after being taken captive near the occupation line near South Ossetia.
The installation of barbed wire fences by Russian and Ossetian border guards has left a historical Georgian church isolated behind the fences, which mark the so-called boundary between Georgian and Ossetian territory.
Six Georgian citizens have been detained by Russian forces near the occupation line of so-called South Ossetia.
The Georgian locals, who have not been named, were picking capers in the rural outskirt of their villages when they were picked up by Russian soldiers. The border guards claimed the trio were "illegally crossing” the border and detained them.
Ten Georgian citizens gathering capers near the occupation line have been detained by Russian border guards for allegedly trying to illegally cross the border into South Ossetia.
Five out of 18 Georgian citizens being detained from the Sachkhere province for allegedly illegally crossing the border into de-facto South Ossetia have been released by the de-facto regime last night.
Seven more Georgian citizens from the Sachkhere province have been detained by Russian border guards at the occupation line for allegedly illegally crossing the border into de-facto South Ossetia.
In light of the unlawful detention of "jonjoli” pickers in the Sachkhere area, near the de-facto South Ossetian border, the European Union’s Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) is calling on all parties to show consideration and understanding before any detention is made.
Seventeen Georgian citizens detained at the boundary line with de-facto South Ossetia have been released following a meeting with conflict resolution experts.
An elderly man from the Kaspi district is the latest Georgian citizen to be detained by Russian soldiers at the so-called occupation line near Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region.
Russian Occupational forces have released a Georgian teenager, after he was taken as a hostage for allegedly crossing the so-called occupation line.
A middle-aged resident has been snatched by Russian guards for allegedly attempting to cross the so-called border between Georgia and breakaway Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
An elderly Georgian man has been detained and taken hostage in occupied Tskhinvali territory after allegedly crossing the administrative border while watching his grazing cattle.