Prepared by Messenger Staff
Georgian Citizen Released After Illegal Detention by Russian Occupation Forces
A Georgian citizen who was illegally detained by Russian occupation forces has been released and is now in territory controlled by Tbilisi, the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) said on February 10.
The agency did not disclose the individual's identity, saying the person was detained on August 9, 2025, in the occupied Akhalgori district near the Tskhinvali occupation line. According to the SSSG, the central government used "all relevant instruments" available to secure the person's release.
"Georgia's central government and the State Security Service continue active work to free all Georgian citizens illegally detained in the occupied territories," the agency said.
In recent years, the SSSG has changed its practice and no longer releases the identities or photos of detainees. Information about such cases is now made public only after the individuals have been freed.
Lelo's Gegelia Says Georgia Faces Growing Isolation as U.S. Vice President Skips Tbilisi
Grigol Gegelia, foreign secretary of the opposition party Lelo - Strong Georgia, said Georgia is facing growing international isolation due to the policies of the ruling Georgian Dream party, pointing to U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance's decision to visit the South Caucasus without stopping in Tbilisi.
"We see a divergence from values and the international agenda on the part of the Georgian Dream regime," Gegelia said. "Georgia is under conditions of total isolation, which is evident not only in Vance's disregard for Georgia, but also in international, global-scale isolation."
According to Gegelia, under the current political course there is no realistic prospect of improving relations between Georgia and the United States. He argued that Washington's priorities and values are clear, while the Georgian authorities are moving in the opposite direction.
"We know the values and position of the United States, and we also see the divergence from values and the international agenda on the part of the Georgian Dream regime," he said. "If the current course is maintained, Georgia's de facto ruling regime will not be able to develop relations."
Gegelia described Vance's regional visit as a clear signal of Georgia's marginalization. "A clear manifestation of this is the fact that the Vice President of the United States is visiting the region but is not meeting with what was once the main political center of the region. He is not coming to Georgia," he said. "That Georgia is under conditions of total isolation is evident not only in Vance's disregard for Georgia, but also in the fact that not a single credible partner or major state is establishing relations."
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance is currently visiting Armenia and Azerbaijan as part of a regional tour. He arrived in Armenia on February 9 and met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. During the visit, the United States and Armenia signed an agreement on the peaceful use of nuclear energy, with the document signed by Vance and Pashinyan.
Vance is scheduled to travel to Azerbaijan on February 10-11, accompanied by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg. Georgia is not included in the itinerary.
