According to Alexi Batiashvili, the First Deputy Head of the Georgian State Security Service, this morning Russian forces detained six Georgian citizens in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone.
“The hotline is active, and our international partners are involved. The detentions have already been confirmed, and we are awaiting further developments and doing everything possible to return these individuals to their families as soon as possible,” Batiashvili stated in parliament.
Reports often emerge from the conflict zone that Russian military personnel have detained another Georgian citizen on charges of “crossing the state border,” whether it be while herding cattle in their own village or gathering acacia in the nearby forest. There have been several instances where those detained were accused of drug offenses.
Typically, citizens accused of “crossing the state border” are fined and soon released.
Movement along the dividing line in the conflict zone is strictly controlled by Russian military forces. They detain individuals even in areas without barbed wire or warning signs.
In addition to Russian military personnel, representatives of the European Union Monitoring Mission are also present in the conflict zone following the 2008 war, patrolling the side controlled by Tbilisi.
