Georgian citizen illegally arrested near Russian-occupied village

A Georgia citizen has been illegally arrested by the Russian-controlled occupation forces near the currently occupied Artsevi village in central Gori municipality, the Georgian State Security Service said on Thursday. 

The body claimed “active efforts are being made” for the release of all illegally arrested Georgian citizens by both Abkhaz and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) de facto authorities, with the European Union Monitoring Mission – the only foreign mission in Georgia observing Russian occupation – and co-chairs of Geneva International Discussions on the country’s conflict issues being informed. 

The state security service stressed that Russia carried responsibility for all illegal actions in and near the occupied territories. 

Currently five Georgian citizens remain in illegal detention in Tskhinvali, a former soldier among them. 

Russia recognized the two Georgian regions as independent states after its war with Georgia in 2008, with only Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru and Syria joining the move so far, while the rest of the international community is unanimous that the regions are occupied by Russia, comprising 20 percent of the country’s whole territories.