Sokhumi Releases Georgian Students

The authorities in breakaway Abkhazia released on May 3 three Georgian students arrested two months ago.

19-year-old Iveri Korshia and Levan Gachava and Koba Rigvava, both 20-years-old, were released on Thursday afternoon and were immediately brought to Tbilisi where President Saakashvili gave them a hero?s welcome.

After awarding them with medals of honor, Saakashvili joined a rally outside his office organized by university student organizations, which have close ties with the ruling National Movement party.

Saakashvili told the rally that Georgia?s ill-wishers should refrain from ?terrorism and criminal acts, as everyone will be held responsible.”

He also said that Georgia didn’t need ?to apologize for anything.?

?We made it clear to that self-proclaimed group, which claims to be the Abkhaz authorities that no blackmail will ever work. If you want to talk, let?s talk; if you want negotiations, let?s carry out negotiations, if you want an agreement, we are ready to compromise and reach an agreement,? Saakashvili said.
 
?We told them – you will not make us beg you something. You should beg us and make an apology, because you have expelled our people from their homes, you own their property, you arrest people illegally, you should apologize for all this.?

?We made it clear to the separatist authorities [of Abkhazia] that we were ready to do anything to achieve their [students?] release,? he added.

In brief comments made to the Georgian press, the students said that they had been treated well while in custody in Abkhazia.

The circumstances surrounding the students? release remain unclear. Earlier on the same day, Abkhaz officials had demanded that the Georgian side free David Sigua, an official in the Gali District of breakaway Abkhazia, in exchange for the release of the three students.

The Georgian Interior Ministry, however, said in a statement on May 3 that the students had not been exchanged for Sigua.

?The Interior Ministry has not arrested Sigua, hence no exchange could have taken place,? the statement said.

Sigua has been missing since February, 2007. The Abkhaz side claims that Sigua, an ethnic Georgian, was kidnapped by Georgian law enforcers in retaliation for his cooperation with the Abkhaz authorities.

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