Seventeen detained Georgians released in Tskhinvali
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Seventeen Georgian citizens detained at the boundary line with de-facto South Ossetia have been released following a meeting with conflict resolution experts.
The seventeen released citizens were detained by Russian border guards this month for illegally crossing the border into South Ossetia, the de-facto government claimed.
At the time, all of the citizens were picking "jonjoli” (a variety of capers) in the forest near their villages in the Sachkhere and Khashuri districts.
Despite today’s mass release, several Georgian citizens are still being held captive in Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia.
The Georgian Interior Ministry said negotiations were continuing to facilitate the release of the remaining Georgian citizens.
On May 2 the first group of "jonjoli” pickers were detained. Since then, 26 local villagers were detained in five separate incidences.
Yesterday, after the meeting with conflict resolution experts working within the framework of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM), Georgia’s Deputy Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said the Georgian side demanded for actual steps to be taken to solve the problem of detention near the occupation line.
"We asked [the conflict resolution experts] for this issue to be discussed strictly in order to avoid these kinds of detentions,” Zalkaliani said, adding the detention violated locals’ rights for free movement.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Six Georgian citizens have been detained by Russian forces near the occupation line of so-called South Ossetia.
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.
Russian soldiers have detained a fourth Georgian citizen in the Kareli district, which runs alongside the disputed border near South Ossetia.
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.
Three Georgian journalists have been released after being taken captive near the occupation line 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.
A 54-year-old Georgian peasant has been detained by Russian occupants in Tamarasheni, a South Ossetian village.
A Georgian citizen is facing more than a decade in jail after being convicted by a court in Georgia's breakaway region South Ossetia.
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.
A Georgian citizen was detained by the de-facto Abkhazia’s law enforcement agencies representatives on December 28.