A 28-year-old Georgian citizen, Zakaria Butkhuzi, has been allegedly detained for “illegally crossing the border” near the Russian-occupied region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).
Butkhuzi has been detained near the village of Kveshi in Gori Municipality, close to the occupation line. His father said the young man was in their plot of land, when he disappeared.
The State Security Service of Georgia said the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) has been informed and the hotline – activated to resolve the issue.
The illegal detention of Georgian citizens by Russian occupation forces near the occupation line is a common issue. Detainees are usually released after their family pays fine.