De facto Tskhinvali says 42 detained at occupation line in April
The illegal detention of Georgian citizens is a common issue near the occupation line.Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Tweet 
Share
The de facto government of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region says that they detained 42 individuals at the occupation line last month, while the figure stood at 23 in March.
The de facto authorities say that five of the 42 individuals were Georgian citizens who had ‘illegally crossed the border’ into the region.
The de facto government claims that the five detainees were released without paying a fine.
In all other cases individuals attempted to cross the occupation line into the Tbilisi-controlled territory and they had to pay a fine.
The illegal detention of Georgian citizens is a common issue near the occupation line.
Illegally detained Georgian citizens are mostly released after their families pay a fine.
However, there have been several cases of Georgian citizens dying while in detention.
The standard fine is 2,000 Russian rubles ($27 USD).
Russia recognised the Georgian regions of Tskhinvali and Abkhazia as independent states in the wake of the Russia-Georgia 2008 war.
Only Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria have taken the same step of recognition so far.
The rest of the international community says that the regions are occupied by Russia and urge the country to withdraw its troops from Georgian territory.
The Georgian State Security Service says that illegal detention of Georgian citizens by the Russian-controlled occupation forces for so-called ‘illegally crossing the border’ is a common issue since Russia-Georgia 2008.
The Georgian State Security Service says in its annual report of 2020 that there were several attempts by foreign intelligence services to ‘directly or indirectly interfere in Georgian internal issues.’
Residents of Gali in occupied Abkhazia have not received IDP benefits and pensions for four months, said Chairman of the Supreme Council of Abkhazia Jemal Gamakharia.
The Georgian State Security Service says that there are groups of people and individuals who are trying to incite national rivalry between ethnic Georgians and Azerbaijanis in Kvemo Kartli and Kakheti regions in the central and eastern parts of Georgia respectively.
The Russian-controlled occupation forces have illegally arrested one Georgian citizen near de facto Tskhinvali, the Georgian State Security Service has confirmed.
Georgian citizen Malkhaz Janelidze who was illegally arrested by the Russian-controlled occupation forces on December 1 near the village of Vaneli in Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region was released late yesterday. Janelidze said following his release that he was travelling to Russia for work and treatment when he was detained.