Occupants detained 327 Georgian citizens in past two years
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Wednesday, February 27
A total of 327 citizens of Georgia have been detained by the occupying forces controlling the two Georgian regions of Abkhazia and Tskhinvali between 2017 and 2019, the Georgian State Security Service says.
242 individuals, including 16 in 2019, were detained for crossing the so-called border between Georgia and Tskhinvali, and 85 for “illegally crossing the border” to Abkhazia.
Majority of illegally detained citizens were released after paying fines, which amounts to about 32 USD and will increase.
The agency also says that the Russian creeping occupation of Georgian territory started in 2011
“The creeping occupation has been going on since 2011 and it has been revealed with illegal barbed-wire fences, digging so-called anti-fire canals and other artificial barriers,” the State Security Service reported.
The state agency says that last year Russia controlled-individuals dug so-called anti-fire canals along the occupation line with Tskhinvali. Artificial barriers were built near the villages of Dvani in October and Atotsi in November.
This year the occupying forces are building a lookout tower at the occupation line between Tskhinvali and the rest of Georgia.
