De Facto Tskhinvali Releases Georgian Citizen after 18-Month Detention
Georgia’s breakaway South Ossetia (Tskhinvali), has released Georgian citizen Giorgi Giunashvili, after he spent 18 months captive in Tskhinvali in an “isolator”.
The State Ministry of Reconciliation and Civil Equality of Georgia reports that de facto Tskhinvali handed Giunashvili to the Georgian side on November 26.
“Giorgi Giunashvili is at home in the temporary settlement arranged for IDPs. Georgia’s State Minister for Reconciliation, Ketevan Tsikhlasvili, has already had a conversation with him,” the Ministry reported.
Russian media reports that Giunashvili was released from Tskhinvali after Raul Khajimba, the self-proclaimed president of Georgia’s other occupied region, Abkhazia, asked his South Ossetian ‘counterpart’ to release Giunashvili in exchange for an Abkhaz captive being kept in a Georgian prison.
Murat Jioev, the representative of de facto South Ossetian President Anatoly Bibilov, confirmed that Giunashvili was pardoned by Bibilov to please Khajimba, who said that Giunashvili would be exchanged for an Abkhaz citizen.
“The pardon and transfer of a Georgian convict is an action that confirms South Ossetia and Abkhazia's aspiration towards good neighborly relations, including with Georgia. We hope that this will be duly assessed by both Tbilisi and the international community," Jioev said.
Official Tbilisi denies that Giunashvili was released as a result of an exchange.
“Giunashvili’s release is a very positive step forward, and this will have a positive impact on the peace process and Georgia’s relationship with the occupied region. It was a humane and pragmatic decision,” Reconciliation Minister Tsikhelashvili said, adding she cannot confirm any exchange took place in return for Giunashvili’s release.
Giorgi Giunashvili, 40, was kidnapped by the occupant forces in early June, 2016, at the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between Georgia and the breakaway South Ossetia.
Tskhinvali’s law enforcement agency claimed that the Georgian man “illegally crossed the border” on June 8, 2016 into the breakaway territory.
However, a month later, they said Giunashvili was involved in terrorist activities, and was a member of an illegal armed group.
The occupants added the man detonated a hand-grenade in 2007 and opened fire on South Ossetian soldiers in 2008 during the Russia-Georgia August 2008 war.
In February 2017, Russian-occupied Tskhinvali sentenced Giunashvili to 20 years in prison for “terrorism charges”.
Since Giunashvili was detained, his case had been raised many times by the Georgian side at the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) meetings and the Geneva international discussions.
Giunashvili himself said he learnt about his release early on Sunday and had no idea the occupants were planning to free him.
The Georgian man knows nothing about the possible exchange of captives. He said he was accompanied by the Abkhazian representative at the ABL and handed to the Georgia’s State Security Service and Reconciliation Ministry members.
By Thea Morrison