Georgia's president outraged by MP Odisharia's statement on Gali district detentions
Georgian president on detentions in Abkhazia
President Salome Zourabichvili called MP Beka Odisharia’s statement about detained Georgian citizens in occupied Abkhazia “shameful.”
Two Georgian citizens were arrested on August 20 in the village of Otobaya Vtoraya (Bgoura) in the Gali district of occupied Abkhazia. The detainees had residency rights in the so-called Abkhazia and were allegedly helping people cross the border.
According to MP Beka Odisharia from the ruling Georgian Dream party, if a person was paid to help others cross this artificial administrative-occupational border, it is regrettable but that person also contributed to their own arrest and should be handed over to the legitimate Georgian authorities immediately.
“However, I repeat, they should not be held accountable by the puppet regime of Abkhazia or the Russian occupation forces; they must be immediately transferred to the legitimate authorities of Georgia,” Odisharia stated.
He also noted that he would not violate the presumption of innocence and expressed confidence that the truth would come to light once “this person is in the hands of Georgian law enforcement.”
Today, the so-called State Security Service of Abkhazia also reported that two Russian citizens were detained while attempting to cross the border from Georgia into Abkhazia.
Statement from Salome Zourabichvili
“The shameful statement by Beka Odisharia about our citizens detained in occupied Abkhazia!!!!
To be unaware of the presumption of innocence and, worse, to unconditionally side with the accusations of so-called law enforcement.
It seems this is the ‘Dream’ party’s vision for establishing future relations with the occupiers, for which, ironically, they claim they need a constitutional majority!”
Georgian president on detentions in Abkhazia
