Georgian Detained Near Tskhinvali Released

Tamaz Iluridze, a resident of village Plavismani in Gori Municipality adjacent to Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia, was released on April 18, a day after his detention, reportedly, by the Russian FSB officers deployed in the region.

Iluridze’s detention sparked protest in Tbilisi, with several dozen anti-occupation activists threatening to block passage to cars with Russian license plates running through the Georgian Military Road.

In 2017, the Russian FSB officers arrested a total of 178 Georgians on charges of “illegal border crossing” in Tskhinvali Region (126 persons) and Abkhazia (52 persons), according to the State Security Service of Georgia.