Russian guards release Georgian citizen detained near occupied Abkhazia

A Georgian citizen illegally detained by Russian-controlled guards has been released today.

Georgian citizen Tengiz Mikava was detained in Georgia’s Samegrelo region yesterday.

He was accused of crossing the so-called border, which is an administrative boundary line separating the occupied region from the rest of Georgia.

The illegal detention of Georgian citizens by Russian-controlled guards is a common issue in both Russian-occupied regions of Georgia – Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).

The detainees are usually freed only after their families pay a ransom.