Russian guards detain Georgian man near breakaway Abkhazia

Russian border-guards detained a man for allegedly crossing the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between Georgia and its breakaway region of Abkhazia last night.

Davit Tsertsvadze was detained in Gamnukhuri, Samegrelo region while hunting, while another man accompanying him managed to escape.

His family said the man was taken to Gali detention facility. 

The illegal detention of Georgian citizens by Russian guards is a common issue near the ABL. Detainees are usually released once their family pays a fine.

The situation is similar in Georgia’s other Russian-occupied region of Tskinvali (South Ossetia).

Illegal detention and other issues related to the everyday life of people living along the ABL are usually addressed at regular Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meetings - a peacekeeping tool which allows the conflicting parties to discuss issues face-to-face as well as to respond to issues through a hotline.

The State Security Service said the hotline has already been used for negotiations so that hopefully Tsertsvadze will soon be released.