Russian Occupants Detain Georgians in Gali District

The Russian occupants of Abkhazia have detained twenty Georgian citizens in the village Nabakevi, near the occupation line.

According to television station Rustavi 2, a nine-year-old child is among those incarcerated.

Reportedly, the Russian occupants freed those who have de-facto Abkhazian passports after they paid a fine for “illegal crossing of the boundary;’ however, the others, including the child, are still held at the Gali custody center. 

The EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia has been informed about the situation.

The district of Gali, Abkhazia, is mainly populated by Georgians who face daily discrimination and breaches of their fundamental rights by the Russian occupants, who control the entire region.

The occupation line separates Gali from Zugdidi (unoccupied), where Gali residents often go to buy food and and visit hospitals.

However, Russian military says crossing the border is “illegal” and detains and fines Georgians who cross. 

UPDATE: 

The State Security Service of Georgia has confirmed to InterPresNews, a Tbilisi based news agency, that detainees have been released today evening.

No additional information has been provided yet, including the reason of detention.

Photo by Nana Kikalia