Georgian citizen illegally detained by occupation forces released
Tamaz Glurjidze (L) was transported to the Tbilisi-controlled territory on Thursday. Photo: state security service press office
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Tamaz Glurjidze, the Georgian citizen illegally detained by Russian-controlled occupation forces adjacent to central Georgia’s occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region earlier this week, has been released, the Georgian state security service said on Thursday.
The state body said it had activated the hotline operated for information exchange on developments along the occupation line, and informed the European Union monitoring mission and co-chairs of the Geneva international discussions about the incident in the village of Bershueti in Gori municipality on Wednesday, shortly after being informed over the illegal detention.
The man had been detained for “illegally crossing the border” while on his way home from a local villager’s house, and called his family members from Tskhinvali prison to inform them of his arrest.
The agency said Georgian authorities were using all tools at its disposal to ensure release of all illegally arrested Georgian citizens from the occupied regions.
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”.
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.
Russian occupation forces have illegally detained a Georgian citizen in the village of Bershueti in central Georgia’s Gori municipality, near the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region, the Georgian state security service confirmed on Wednesday.
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.
Frank Yanez, an American citizen illegally detained by Russian occupation forces in central Georgia last month, has been released and is in the territory controlled by the Georgian Government, the State Security Service of Georgia announced on Wednesday.
Zaza Megrelishvili and Tamaz Gogichashvili, two Georgian citizens illegally detained near central Georgia’s Russian-occupied village of Lopani by occupation forces on December 15, 2021 were released on Friday, the State Security Service of Georgia said.
Giorgi Jarmelishvili, a Georgian citizen illegally detained near central Georgia’s Russian-occupied village of Zemo Artsevi by occupation forces earlier this week, was released on Thursday, the state security service of Georgia said.
Russian occupation forces illegally detained a Georgian citizen on Monday, with the incident coming near the administrative line separating the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region, the State Security Service confirmed on Monday.
Manuchar Gulitashvili, a Georgian citizen illegally detained by occupation forces near the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region earlier this week has been released, the State Security Service of Georgia said on Wednesday.
Irakli Antadze, the Deputy Head of the Analytical Department of the Georgian State Security Service, on Tuesday said occupation forces in central Georgia’s Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region had illegally detained a Georgian citizen near the administrative line ahead of a meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism, a platform facilitating talks between the Georgian Government and de facto authorities of the occupied region.