De facto Tskhinvali accuses Georgian man of terrorism

A Georgian man held captive for the past month in a detention centre in occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) is accused of being a terrorist by authorities of the breakaway region.

De facto leaders of Georgia’s eastern Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region claim Giorgi Giunashvili was a terrorist and a member of an illegal armed group. He was kidnapped by occupying forces in early June at the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between Georgia and the breakaway area.

De facto Tskhinvali’s law enforcement agency claimed the 38-year-old Georgian man "illegally crossed the border” on June 8 into the breakaway territory.

The de facto side claimed this was not the first time Giunashvili had caused problems in the occupied region. They said Giunashvili exploded a hand-grenade in 2007 and opened fire on South Ossetian soldiers in 2008. 

These allegations were heavily criticized and adamantly denied by Georgian officials and the victim’s family.

Locals from Disevi village, Giunashvili’s home area, and officials from Georgia’s State Security Service said the allegations against Giunashvili were "absurd”.

Giunashvili has been held in a detention centre in Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) since he was kidnapped by so-called border guards on June 8.

The Government of Georgia has already addressed Russians and de-facto authorities of Tskhinvali to release Giunashvili. 

Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili addressed the international community to be aware of the case and other ongoing human rights violations of Georgian citizens near the ABL.