Georgian citizens illegally detained by Russian occupation forces released

Two Georgian citizens illegally detained by the Russian occupation forces in the occupied territory in central Georgia have been released, the State Security Service said on Tuesday.

The Service noted it had “actively” used the hotline operated by the European Union Monitoring Mission for information exchange on developments along the occupation line and “all the relevant mechanisms at the disposal” of the Government to ensure the release of Khajarat Akhvlediani and Giorgi Romelashvili.

The body said their immediate release had been also discussed at meetings of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism and the Geneva International Discussions, the two platforms used for talks between the Georgian agencies and de facto authorities in the occupied regions.

It pointed out the Russian occupation forces were responsible for “all destructive actions” committed on the occupied territories of the country, as well as along the occupation line.

The SSS added the Government and its international partners continued “active work” to release all Georgian citizens illegally detained in the occupied territories.