Russian occupation forces illegally arrest Georgian citizen
The Security Service denied the ongoing speculations that the illegally arrested individual was an active duty military official. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Russian occupation forces have illegally arrested a Georgian citizen near the occupied village of Zemo Artsevi, the Georgian State Security Service confirmed on March 31.
Following the arrest, the Security Service activated the European Union Monitoring Mission hotline. International partners, including the co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions, have also been informed about the case.
The Security Service denied the ongoing speculations that the illegally arrested individual was an active duty military official.
The statement noted the central government of Georgia was using “all available mechanisms” to ensure an immediate release of the illegally arrested individuals.
The illegal detention of Georgian citizens is a common issue near the occupation line, and the detainees are usually released after their families pay a fine.
However, there have been several cases of Georgian citizens dying while in arrest.
Russia recognised the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) as independent states in the wake of the Russo-Georgian war in 2008.
Only Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria have taken the same step of recognition so far.
The rest of the international community asserts that the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions are occupied by Russia and urges the country to withdraw its troops from the Georgian territory.
Georgian State Security Service officials demanded “unconditional release” of Georgian citizens illegally arrested by Russian occupation forces at the 105th Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meeting, the platform facilitating talks between Georgian agencies and the de-facto authorities in the occupied regions of the country.
The 104th meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism took place yesterday in Ergneti, under the co-facilitation of the Ambassador Marek Szczygiel, Head of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), and Ambassador Viorel Mosanu, newly appointed Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office for the South Caucasus.
Russian occupation forces have illegally arrested Georgian citizen Mamuka Chkhikvadze near Zemo Nikozi village in Gori municipality earlier today.
US and Italian ambassadors and OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid have visited the village of Tsitsagiaantkari earlier today near the Russian-controlled Tskhinvali region of Georgia, where they attended the opening ceremony of a drinking water reservoir for locals and met the family of Zaza Gakhekadze, a Georgian citizen who has been illegally sentenced to 12 years in prison by de facto Tskhinvali.
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.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili and MPs on Friday met local self-government officials and citizens to discuss the current circumstances and needs of the residents living in villages located near the occupation line separating central Georgia's Russian-occupied region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) from the rest of the country.