Occupying forces detain two Georgian citizens near Abkhazia region

The detainees have been unable to contact their families so far. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.

Agenda.ge, 13 Feb 2019 - 15:36, Tbilisi,Georgia

Occupying forces have detained two Georgian citizens for “illegally crossing the border” earlier today near the occupation line with the breakaway Abkhazia region, the Georgian State Security Service has confirmed.

Locals say that the individuals were looking for their horses when armed individuals detained them in the village of Ganmukhuri, western Georgia.

Locals told the media that the men will be taken to Gali prison, in the occupied Abkhazia region.

The illegal detention of Georgian citizens takes place frequently.

Most of the detainees are released after paying a fine.

92 Georgian citizens were illegally detained for crossing the so-called border of occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region last year – the same figure for the breakaway region of Abkhazia amounted to 25, the Georgian State Security Service told Agenda.ge in December 2018.

Several more individuals have been detained by the occupying forces since then.