Irakli Bebua, an ethnic Georgian resident of the occupied Gali district, arbitrarily arrested on September 30 by the Russian-backed Abkhaz authorities for burning the Abkhaz decorative banner, has been sentenced to 9 years in jail on December 7, the State Security Service of Georgia (SSG) reported today.
Bebua burned the Abkhaz symbol to protest the “victory and independence day” celebration in the ethnic-Georgian Gali district, causing social media outrage among ethnic Abkhaz, with many calling for the man’s expulsion from Abkhazia and others going as far as calling for his murder.
The SSG noted that the Co-Chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID), as well as Tbilisi’s international partners, were promptly informed about the illegal conviction of the Georgian citizen.
“The case of Irakli Bebua, as well as the unconditional release of Georgian citizens illegally detained in the occupied territories, will be strongly raised at the next round of the GID scheduled for December 10-11 this year,” the Security agency concluded.
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