Six men detained near occupation line
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Six Georgian citizens have been detained by Russian forces near the occupation line of so-called South Ossetia.
This marked the fifth incident of unlawful detention of Georgian citizens by Russian border guards in the region in recent days.
All of the six men were taken today from the Jvari village of the Sachkhere municipality.
The Interior Ministry of Georgia said they were currently trying to find out the location of the detained men.
"We believe they were taken to Tskhinvali,” said the Ministry’s Information-Analytical Department deputy head Davit Kobakhidze.
He claimed the Ministry used all its resources, including informing the European Union’s Monitoring Mission in Georgia, about the incident.
"We now hope to get more information through the Mission’s hotline,” Kobakhidze said.
The men were locals of the villages Korbouli and Skhvitori and were gathering capers in the forest near the occupation line in the Jvari village when they were unlawfully detained.
They were believed to be arrested for "illegally crossing the border”.
In previous cases, all Georgian detainees were released after paying fines.
Russian soldiers have detained a fourth Georgian citizen in the Kareli district, which runs alongside the disputed border near South Ossetia.
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.
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 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.
Two Georgian citizens have been released after being taken captive near the so-called occupation line in Georgia's breakaway region Tskhinvali on Tuesday.
Two Georgian citizens have been illegally detained in breakaway Abkhazia’s Gali district, says Georgia’s Interior Ministry.