Seven Georgian citizens remain in illegal custody in Russian-occupied Tskhinvali
Four Georgian citizens near the village of Adzvi in Gori municipality were illegally arrested yesterday, while three more people were arrested on December 10-12. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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A total of seven Georgian citizens remain illegally imprisoned by the Russian occupation forces as of December 24, Georgian State Security Service (SSS) representative Giorgi Sabedashvili reported.
Sabedashvili stated that since the Russia-Georgia 2008 war ‘people are detained illegally every year and unfortunately, at no point has the government been able to stop this.’
He also noted that the SSS along with the Interior Ministry remains in ‘constant contact’ with the families of Georgian citizens who remain in custody in the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region.
The SSS states that the hotline of the European Union monitoring mission (EUMM) in Georgia has been activated and co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions involved in the process.
More is being done, but these are the main levers and tools with the help of which we have released several thousand people from illegal detention,” said Sabedashvili.
Four Georgian citizens near the village of Adzvi in Gori municipality were illegally arrested yesterday, while three more people were arrested on December 10-12.
The illegal arrest of Georgian citizens is a common issue near the occupation line. Usually, those arrested are released once their families pay a fine.
Russia declared the independence of Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region on August 26, 2008, following the Russia-Georgia war.
However, only four other countries – Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria – share Russia’s position regarding the occupied Georgian territories’ status, while the whole international community states that the regions are occupied by Russia.
Russian occupation forces have illegally arrested four Georgian citizens near the village of Adzvi in Gori municipality. The State Security Service (SSS) of Georgia reported that the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) and co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) have been informed about the case.
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.
Russian occupation forces have illegally arrested Georgian citizen Mamuka Chkhikvadze near Zemo Nikozi village in Gori municipality earlier today.
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.
Four Georgian citizens illegally detained by Russian occupation forces near the village of Adzvi in Gori municipality have been released. Russian occupation forces illegally arrested the Georgian citizens yesterday on December 23.
Russian occupation forces have illegally arrested two Georgian citizens near the village of Lopani in Khashuri municipality, the State Security Service (SSS) of Georgia reported today.
Russian occupation forces have illegally arrested two Georgian citizens near Gremiskhevi village in Dusheti municipality, the Georgian State Security Service reported earlier this evening.
Georgian citizens Nika Bejitashvili and Kviria Elisbarashvili illegally arrested by Russian occupation forces near Gremiskhevi village in Dusheti municipality yesterday have been released today, the Georgian State Security Service (SSS) reports.
Locals in Georgia’s eastern town of Gori have held a rally demanding the release of Georgian citizen Mamuka Chkhikvadze, who was detained by the Russian occupation forces near the village of Zemo Nikozi in Gori municipality on December 12, 2021.
Russian occupation forces illegally arrested Georgian citizen Giorgi Kujoshvili near the central Georgia’s occupied village of Adzvistavi on Tuesday, the Georgian State Security Service (SSS) confirmed earlier today.
Illegal detentions of Georgian citizens in Russian-occupied regions of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) and Abkhazia, and mechanisms for a further implementation of human-centred policies were in focus of an address by Tea Akhvlediani, the Georgian Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality, to the Parliament on Friday.
Release of Georgian citizens illegally detained by Russian occupation forces, and the illegal ‘borderisation’ process along the occupation line in Georgia were in focus of the 107th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism meeting on Tuesday, the Georgian State Security Service said.
Levan Machabeli, a 35-year-old former Georgian servicemember who was illegally detained by the Russian occupation forces near the country's occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region in March, was released late on Wednesday, the Georgian State Security Service said.