Gov’t demands release of detained citizen, punishment of individuals responsible for killing of Georgian national in occupied territory at meeting

Irakli Antadze, the Deputy Head of the Analytical Department of the Georgian State Security Service, on Monday said the country’s authorities had demanded “immediate release” of a Georgian citizen illegally detained by occupation forces on Monday, and punishment of individuals responsible for the killing of another national of the country in the same incident, in a meeting with de facto authorities of the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region.

Hosted in the village of Ergneti after the incident that saw the killing of the citizen during an attempt of illegal arrest by the occupation forces, and detention of the other individual, the meeting involved representatives of the Russian occupation forces and the European Union Monitoring Mission.

• Georgian citizen dead following illegal arrest attempt by occupation forces - Security Service

Antadze said the Government “could not accept” the incident, which he said had “no human justification”.

He also pointed out the Service was awaiting response from the occupying forces on its request for release of the detained citizen “as soon as possible”, and added his office had been told by the de facto authorities that the arrested national was “feeling well”.

The official added the body was in “permanent communication” with international partners and had informed the Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions - a platform for talks between the Georgian Government and de facto authorities in the occupied regions - about the development.