Russian Troops in S.Ossetia Detain Five More Georgians

Russian border guards, deployed in breakaway South Ossetia, detained five Georgian citizens at the administrative border, the Georgian and South Ossetian sides reported on Wednesday.

According to the information posted on the website of breakaway region’s authorities, five men, residents of the Kareli district, were detained on October 26, a day after sixteen Georgian citizens were arrested by the Russian border guards at the administrative border close to Akhalgori. The South Ossetian side said that the five men were detained close to the village of Balta in the breakaway region.

“Files will be sent to court on October 29 for taking further decision on administrative punishment for violation of the state border crossing regime,” the breakaway region’s security service said.

Meanwhile, on October 28 an official from the Georgian Interior Ministry met with the Russian military representatives on the ground to discuss release of sixteen Georgians. Cesar Chocheli, governor of Mtskheta-Mtianeti region, neighboring with Akhalgori district, who also participated in the meeting, told journalists that “there is a possibility” that sixteen men would be released on October 28. Representatives from EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia, as well as South Ossetian de facto authorities were also present at the meeting.

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