96-year-old man, reportedly abducted by occupation forces, back on Tbilisi-controlled territory
The Georgian State Security Service has confirmed that Gora Garibashvili was on Russian-controlled territory. However, the agency did not confirm the abduction. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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96-year-old Gora Garibashvili, who was abducted by occupation forces several times over the past several years, is now on Tbilisi-controlled territory, the Georgian State Security Service has told the Georgian Public Broadcaster earlier today.
The man, who was reportedly detained yesterday by Russian-controlled occupation forces for ‘illegally crossing the border’ to breakaway Tskhinvali, was on the Russian-controlled territory, the agency said yesterday.
However, the State Security Service did not confirm the illegal detention.
The family says that Garibashvili, who is a local of a Kvemo Tchala village of Kaspi municipality, was going to the cemetery of his ancestors which is now under the Russian control.
Russia recognised the Georgian regions of Tskhinvali and Abkhazia as independent states in the wake of the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.
Only Venezuela, Nikaragua, Nauru and Syria have recognised the Georgian regions as independent countries since the war, while the rest of the international community says the territories are occupied by Russia.
The occupying forces in the two Russia-controlled Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) have detained 327 Georgian citizens for “illegally crossing the border” between 2017 and 2019, the Georgian State Security Service says.
The Georgian State Security Service writes in its 2018 report that Russian forces tried to use the two occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) to conduct clandestine, illegal operations.
Georgian citizen Givi Beruashvili, who was illegally detained by occupying forces for “illegally crossing” the so-called border on March 17 has been released, the Georgian State Security Service says. Beruashvili, 21, was visiting his grandparents there, who live 500 meters from the occupation line.
The occupying forces have illegally detained Georgian citizen Guladi Khubua at the occupation line with the breakaway Abkhazia region for “illegally crossing the border” late yesterday, his family says.
Russian-controlled occupation forces have abducted 96-year-old Gora Garibashvili while he was trying to reach a cemetery near the village of Tsunevi, close to the occupation line with breakaway Tskhinvali region, the Georgian Public Broadcaster reports. The man has been illegally detained for “crossing the border” by de facto Tskhinvali authorities several times over the past several years, with the previous illegal detention taking place last year.
Karlo Taziashvili, 80, has been delivered to a hospital on Tbilisi-controlled territory from the Akhlalgori district of the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) yesterday.