Illegal detentions by Russian occupying forces, illegal “borderisation” outlined in State Security Service report

The Georgian State Security Service said 44 persons had been illegally arrested by Russian occupation forces in the vicinity of central Georgia’s occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region, and 13 adjacent to the occupied Abkhazia in the north-west of the country, in its annual report for 2022.

The Service also highlighted 69 cases of illegal “borderisation” by the forces adjacent to the administrative boundary marking the occupation of the Tskhinvali region and nine cases adjacent to the line separating Abkhazia from the rest of the country.

The report also said there were cases of ethnic Georgians being summoned for questioning by de facto forces in the regions, in addition to cases of intimidation and harassment.

The report noted nine citizens of Georgia remained in illegal detention in the regions by the end of the year, including Irakli Bebua, who was illegally sentenced by the occupation regime to nine years in detention.

The Service stressed the Georgian Government continued to use “all formal and informal” mechanisms at its disposal, especially the concentration of efforts of the international community, for achieving unconditional release of those in illegal detention “as soon as possible”.

It also said it had used the dedicated hotline involving the Service and the European Union Monitoring Mission to “prevent and defuse incidents, and exchange various important information” along the occupation line throughout the year.