Occupation forces abduct Georgian citizen
The illegal detention of Georgian citizens is a common issue near the occupation line. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The Russian-controlled occupation forces have illegally arrested one Georgian citizen near de facto Tskhinvali, the Georgian State Security Service has confirmed.
The agency reports that the international community has already been informed regarding the abduction.
The de facto Tskhinvali government says that the ‘detainee’ is a 47-year-old man ‘who illegally crossed the border’ in the village of Ergneti.
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 Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has dismissed Russian media reports claiming Belarus has started a procedure to recognise the independence of Georgia’s Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia (Tskhinvali), calling them 'disinformation.'
Russian occupation forces have illegally detained two Georgian citizens close to the village of Lopani in Georgia’s Russian-occupied region of Tskhinvali. The State Security Service has meanwhile noted that the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) and other international partners have been informed and the hotline has been activated.
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.
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.
The Russian-controlled occupation forces have illegally arrested two Georgian citizens near de facto Tskhinvali, at the village of Tsinagara, the Georgian State Security Service has confirmed.
Russian occupation forces have illegally arrested Georgian citizen Mamuka Chkhikvadze near Zemo Nikozi village in Gori municipality earlier today.
Kakhaber Natadze, 44, and Vladimer Kaniashvili, 38, arrested illegally by the Russian occupation forces on December 10 near the village of Tsinagara for ‘illegally crossing the border’, have been denied bail by the so-called Tskhinvali court, RFE/RL's Georgian service reports.