US Ambassador Degnan concerned over illegal arrest of Georgian citizens in Russia-occupied territories
The illegal arrest of Georgian citizens is a common issue near the occupation line, and those arrested are usually released after their families pay a fine. However, there have been several cases of Georgian citizens dying while in arrest. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan says the illegal arrest of Georgian citizens by Russian occupation forces in the occupied territories is a matter of concern.
Degnan noted that Russia must fulfil the Ceasefire Agreement of August 12, 2008 and stop illegal arrests.
We [US] are always worried when Georgian citizens are arrested or harassed. It should be stopped for sure. This will happen when Russia fulfils the Ceasefire Agreement of August 12. Everyone expects Russia to fulfill the agreement. Only then can we talk about dialogue”, Degnan said.
Russian occupation forces illegally arrested Georgian citizen Mamuka Chkhikvadze near Zemo Nikozi village in Gori municipality on December 12, 2021.
- Occupation forces illegally arrest Georgian citizen in Gori municipality
- Occupation forces illegally arrest two Georgian citizens
The State Security Service (SSS) of Georgia reported that the European Union Monitoring mission (EUMM) and the co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) have been informed about the case.
The occupation forces illegally arrested two other Georgian citizens near de facto Tskhinvali on December 10.
The illegal arrest of Georgian citizens is a common issue near the occupation line, and those arrested are usually released after their families pay a fine.
However, there have been several cases of Georgian citizens dying while in arrest.
Russia recognised the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali as independent states in the wake of the Russo-Georgian war in 2008.
Only Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria have taken the same step so far.
The rest of the international community asserts that the Abkhazia and Tskhinvali regions are occupied by Russia and urges the country to withdraw its troops from the Georgian territory.
The Georgian State Security Service says that illegal detention of Georgian citizens by the Russian-controlled occupation forces for so-called ‘illegally crossing the border’ is a common issue since Russia-Georgia 2008.
Georgian Minister of Foreign Affairs David Zalkaliani has denounced the disrespect for the Georgian national flag in Russian state-owned TV program, expressing his concerns to the Swiss Ambassador to Russia Krystyna Marty Lang, who paid an official visit to Georgia. The program, which aired on Russian state-owned TV channel Russia-24 on November 9, showed the presenters standing on top of the Georgian national flag.
The State Security Service of Georgia reports that a young Georgian man, Irakli Kvaratskhelia, has reportedly committed suicide in the Gali district, in Georgia's Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia. Kvaratskhelia, born in 1990, had been allegedly detained by de-facto authorities.
The occupying forces in the two Russia-controlled Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) have detained 327 Georgian citizens for “illegally crossing the border” between 2017 and 2019, the Georgian State Security Service says. The agency reports that 242 of 327 were detained for “illegally crossing the border” between Georgia and its eastern occupied Tskhinvali region.
Kakhaber Natadze, 44, and Vladimer Kaniashvili, 38, arrested illegally by the Russian occupation forces on December 10 near the village of Tsinagara for ‘illegally crossing the border’, have been denied bail by the so-called Tskhinvali court, RFE/RL's Georgian service reports.
Russian occupation forces have illegally arrested four Georgian citizens near the village of Adzvi in Gori municipality. The State Security Service (SSS) of Georgia reported that the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) and co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) have been informed about the case.
Georgian citizen Lasha Khetereli has been illegally arrested by occupation forces close to the Russia-occupied Georgian region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) for 'illegally crossing the border.' The State Security Service (SSS) of Georgia reported that the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) and the co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions (GID) have been informed about the case.
Zaza Megrelishvili and Tamaz Gogichashvili, two Georgian citizens illegally detained near central Georgia’s Russian-occupied village of Lopani by occupation forces on December 15, 2021 were released on Friday, the State Security Service of Georgia said.
Russian occupation forces have illegally detained a Georgian citizen in the village of Bershueti in central Georgia’s Gori municipality, near the occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region, the Georgian state security service confirmed on Wednesday.
Georgian citizen Lasha Khetereli, who was illegally detained by de facto authorities of Georgia's Russian-occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region for “illegally crossing” the so-called “border” last year, was released on Tuesday, Georgia’s State Security Service said.
Georgian citizen Dimitri Mamagulashvili who was illegally detained on Monday by de facto authorities of Georgia's Russian-occupied territory adjacent to the village of Dvani in the central Kareli Municipality, was released, the State Security Service of Georgia said on Friday.