Occupants Detain Monk near the Occupation Line
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Tuesday, October 23
Russia-controlled border guards detained a monk and another individual who was with the monk at the occupation line between Georgia and its eastern occupied Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region on 20 October.
The individuals were detained near the Lomisi Monastery, at the Russia-controlled Akhalgori area.
Both were released on 22 October after paying fine.
The Georgian State Security Service says that the men were detained for “illegally crossing the border.”
The service informed the European Union Monitoring Service as soon as the information was spread regarding the illegality.
Russian Foreign Ministry representative Maria Zakharova “urged” the Georgian government last week to raise its citizens’ awareness regarding the “border lines” to prevent detentions for “border crossings.”
The Georgian Foreign Ministry responded that such statements “are cynical,” and reminded Russia its obligation signed in the wake of the Russia-Georgia 2008 war to withdraw its troops from Georgian territories.
Russia recognized Abkhazia and Tskhinvali as independent countries after the Russia-Georgia war.
According to the information released by Georgian NGO IDFI, which it received from the State Security Service of Georgia, in the years 2009-2015 the occupational forces have detained a total number of 2,481 Georgian citizens for the so-called “illegal border crossing” of which 1, 641 were detained by occupational forces in Abkhazia and 840 people were detained in Occupational forces in Tskhinvali region.
