Prepared by Messenger Staff
Georgian Citizen Released After Over Four Years in Illegal Detention in Occupied Abkhazia
The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) has announced the release of Irakli Bebua, a Georgian citizen who had been illegally imprisoned in Russian-occupied Abkhazia for over four years. Bebua is now safe in territory controlled by the central government.
Bebua, an ethnic Georgian resident of the occupied Gali district, was arrested on September 30, 2020, by Russian-backed Abkhaz authorities after burning a banner depicting Abkhaz flag symbols. Despite the maximum penalty for flag desecration in occupied Abkhazia being one year, Bebua was sentenced to nine years in prison in December 2020. The so-called court also convicted him of "deliberate destruction of property by arson" and "illegal acquisition and storage of ammunition." However, under an occupied Abkhazia law that reduces sentences for certain detainees, Bebua's time was halved, leading to his release after four years and six months.
The State Security Service of Georgia emphasized that "all available diplomatic and negotiation channels, including the 'hotline' mechanism operated by the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM), were actively utilized" to secure Bebua's release.
"The central government continues to work actively for the release of all citizens of Georgia illegally detained in the occupied territories," the SSSG statement reads.
Government to Establish a Government Efficiency Department
The Georgian government, led by the ruling Georgian Dream party, has decided to introduce a bill that will significantly expand the authority of the government administration, according to Levan Zhorzholiani, head of the administration.
At a cabinet session, initiated by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, the government approved the creation of a Government Efficiency Department, aimed at strengthening control over the implementation of executive decisions across all levels of government.
As part of this restructuring, the existing Internal Audit Service will be transformed into the Government Efficiency Department. According to Zhorzholiani, the move is designed to improve oversight, transparency, and accountability in public administration.
"We also discussed this with the State Audit Service, where real-time auditing will be introduced," Zhorzholiani explained. "Previously, audits focused on past years, but now the State Audit Service will be able to assess ongoing projects in real-time."
Zhorzholiani emphasized that this reform will help ensure more effective budget spending and improve governance across key sectors, including energy and property management.
"One of the main principles of our governance is transparency and accountability, and the creation of this new mechanism serves to strengthen these two core values," he stated.
