A Georgian citizen has been kidnapped near the village of Akhalubani, in Gori district, near the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) of Tskhinvali, a Georgian region currently occupied by Russia.

Misha Petriashvili, 68, was herding cattle with two fellow villagers, according to the Gori municipality office.  Locals say at the moment of the incident the three people were on Georgian controlled territory and had not crossed the ABL.

Russian-occupied Tskhinvali calls the occupation line between Tskhinvali region and the rest of Georgia "the state border” and treats any cases of line crossing by locals as cases of "illegal border crossing” even though the line is not well differentiated in some areas. 

According to official data, 126 Georgian citizens were illegally detained by Russia-controlled border guards last year at the Tskhinvali ABL. In most cases, detainees are released after paying a fine which usually amounts to about $30.

By Shawn Wayne

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