State security service demands “unconditional release” of illegally arrested Georgian citizens from occupied territory at IPRM meeting

The Georgian state security service officials have demanded “unconditional and immediate release” of Georgian citizens, illegally arrested by the Russian occupation forces, during the 109th meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism in the central Georgian village of Ergneti, the state agency said on Thursday.

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 and the restriction of the free movement were also discussed at the platform for facilitating talks between the Georgian agencies and de facto authorities of the occupied region.

The Issues negatively impacting the daily lives of the conflict-affected local communities along the occupation line were also reviewed, with the participants also having an “extensive discussion” on the current practice of movement at crossing points.

The co-facilitators of the meeting, ambassador Marek Szczygieł, head of the EU monitoring mission in Georgia and ambassador Viorel Moşanu, special representative of the OSCE chairperson-in-office for the South Caucasus, ”urged” for a “humanitarian” approach towards resolution of pending detention cases in view of the upcoming holidays and “insisted” on the necessity of their good treatment in terms of healthcare.

The next IPRM meeting is scheduled to be convened on January 17, 2023.