Eight Detained Georgians Released from Tskhinvali Custody

Eight Georgian citizens detained by the Russian occupation forces at the occupation line with Tskhinvali Region/South Ossetia on August 17-18, were released late on Tuesday. Having spent the last few days in Tskhinvali custody, they were handed over to Georgian authorities in Ergneti, a village south to the occupied region’s capital.

Vazha Siradze, the head of the Interior Ministry’s Patrol Police Department who was in Ergneti on August 20 told journalists that the released citizens feel well and that they will first be transferred to Shida Kartli Police Department for further investigation, before they return to their families.

According to Siradze, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Security Council, and the State Security Service of Georgia were involved in the process of releasing the illegally detained citizens. The European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) hotline was also used in the process, Siradze added.

The “state security committee” of Moscow-backed Tskhinvali announced on August 20 that the Georgian detainees were released from Tskhinvali custody after paying fine. Vazha Siradze said the fine was “allegedly” paid by their relatives.

Russian occupation forces had detained seven Georgian citizens near Akhalubani village of the Gori Municipality on August 17, and one Georgian citizen near Mejvriskhevi village of the Gori Municipality on August 18 for “illegally crossing the state border.”

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