Occupation forces release illegally arrested Georgian citizen from occupied Tskhinvali prison
Illegal arrests of Georgian nationals are a common issue near the occupation line. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge
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Russian-controlled occupation forces on Tuesday released Nukri Kalashnikov, a Georgian citizen illegally arrested in June, from a prison in the occupied Tskhinvali region in central Georgia, the Georgian state security service confirmed.
In its comments, the agency said the hotline mechanism and other tools at the disposal of the Georgian government for developments related to the occupied region had been “actively used” in the process of releasing Kalashnikov, who had been charged with “illegally crossing the border” by occupation forces.
The issue of Kalashnikov’s release from illegal detention was also discussed at the recent incident prevention and response mechanism meeting in the village of Ergneti, said the security service.
The public was informed about Kalashnikov’s arrest last Friday.
According to official statistics, between 2009-2019 (until the end of August 2019) a total of 3,193 Georgian citizens were illegally arrested by Russian-controlled occupation forces from both Tskhinvali and Abkhazia regions. In particular, 1,932 were arrested by de facto Abkhaz authorities and the remaining 1,261 - by de facto Tskhinvali government. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Gela Iobashvili, a local of Perevi village near the occupied Tskhinvali, was also arrested by de facto authorities.
Four Georgian citizens remain in illegal detention in Tskhinvali, including Mamuka Chkhikvadze, a former Georgian servicemember who has been sentenced to three years and eight months in prison for “illegally crossing the border”.
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Illegal arrests of Georgian nationals are a common issue near the occupation line separating the region from the rest of the country. Usually, those arrested are released once their families pay a fine.
Russia recognised the independence of Georgia’s occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions on August 26, 2008, following the war. However, only four other countries – Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria – have since shared Russia’s position regarding the occupied Georgian territories’ status, with the rest of the international community maintaining that the regions are parts of Georgia under Russian occupation.
The illegal “borderisation” process carried out by occupation forces along the administrative boundary line between Georgia’s occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region and the rest of the country, illegal detentions of Georgian citizens and their release will be discussed at the 108th meeting of the region’s de facto authorities and Georgian officials on Friday.
The European Union Monitoring Mission, the only foreign mission in Georgia observing activities adjacent to the Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia), celebrated the 14th anniversary of its presence in the country on Thursday.
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.
The EU Council has prolonged the mandate of the European Union monitoring mission in Georgia (EUMM) until December 14, 2022. EUMM announced on Friday that the decision follows a strategic review of the mission by the Political and Security Committee.
Anatoly Lis, the ambassador of Belarus to Georgia, was summoned to the Georgian foreign office on Wednesday after a visit of the president of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko to Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia region.
The Russian occupation forces carried out illegal ‘borderisation’ activities adjacent to the administrative boundary line near central Georgia’s Russian-occupied village of Knolevi in the Kareli municipality, the state security service of Georgia announced on Friday.
Russian occupation forces have illegally detained three Georgian citizens in the village of Mejvriskhevi in central Georgia’s Gori municipality, near the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region, the Georgian state security service confirmed on Tuesday.
A Georgian minor, who was illegally detained on Tuesday by the Russian occupation forces in the village of Mejvriskhevi in central Georgia’s Gori municipality, near the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region, has been released, the Georgian state security service said on Thursday.
A Georgian citizen who was illegally arrested near the Russian-occupied village of Perevi in central Georgia last year has been released from prison in the occupied Tskhinvali region, the Georgian State Security Service confirmed on Tuesday.