Ukraine’s Embassy Denies Receiving Notice on Detained Citizens, SSSG Disputes
Ukraine’s Embassy in Georgia said on September 17 it had not been officially notified about the launch of a criminal case against two Ukrainians arrested by Georgia’s State Security Service for allegedly bringing powerful explosives into the country on instructions from Kyiv. The SSSG, however, later told government media it had informed an embassy representative.
The embassy said in a statement that it “constantly monitors” media reports about the case but has not yet been officially notified. “The Embassy’s consulate employees take all comprehensive measures to obtain permission from Georgian law enforcement authorities to meet with the Ukrainian detainees, and to clarify all circumstances surrounding their detention.” The SSSG said on September 12 the detainees were acting under the instructions of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), claiming they said the explosives were bound for Russia as the final destination, but that the investigation determined Tbilisi instead.
After the embassy’s statement, the SSSG told pro-government TV Imedi that correspondence had in fact been sent. “Even though one of the suspects directly pointed to Ukraine’s security services as ordering the crime, immediately after the detention of these two individuals, at the stage when the investigation had only just been launched under a single article, the [Georgian] Foreign Ministry was informed in accordance with the law,” the SSSG told TV Imedi. “As we know, the Ministry immediately notified a representative of the Ukrainian Embassy, in particular Andriy Bilyk, who has confirmed receiving the official correspondence.” Bilyk is the first secretary for consular affairs at Ukraine’s Embassy in Georgia, according to the embassy’s official website.
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