Russian guards detain two Georgians at ABL with breakaway Abkhazia

Russian-controlled border guards monitoring the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between Georgia and one of its occupied regions have detained two Georgian men and accused them of illegally crossing the so-called border.

The two men - Nika and Badri Kulava – were detained on September 25 near the ABL and Georgia’s western de facto Abkhazia region.

The men were detained "for an attempt to illegally cross the border”. 

One of the men allegedly had 60g of marijuana in his possession, a Russian law enforcer told an Abkhazian media outlet.

The men were transported to a detention facility in Gali at the centre of the breakaway area. 

Only four countries recognise Georgia’s occupied regions Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) as independent republics while the majority of the world agree Abkhazia and Tskhinvali are integral parts of Georgia.

Russia and Nicaragua recognised the independence of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali in 2008 in the wake of the Russia-Georgia war. In 2009 Venezuela, Nauru and Tuvalu took the same step but after several years Vanuatu revoked its view and said the two regions were part of Georgia.