Georgian Citizen Imprisoned by Russian Occupation Forces in Abkhazia in 2020, Released
On March 30, the State Security Service of Georgia reported that Georgian citizen Irakli Bebua has been released and is now safe on the territory controlled by the central government.
Bebua, an ethnic Georgian resident of the occupied Gali district, was arrested on September 30, 2020 by the Russian-backed Abkhaz authorities for burning the banner depicting Abkhaz flag symbolics and was sentenced in December 2020 to 9 years in jail, however, the actual duration of his illegal imprisonment was 4 years and 6 months.
The maximum sentence for burning a flag in occupied Abkhazia is one year. But the de facto/so-called Abkhazian court sentenced him to nine years in prison, finding him guilty not only of “deliberate destruction of other people’s property by arson” and “desecration of the state flag”, but also of “illegal acquisition and storage of ammunition”.
By burning the flag, Bebua expressed his protest on the day commemorating the fall of Sokhumi, and his protest against the separation of Georgians and Abkhazians.
“He burned the state flag, for which he was held criminally liable and sentenced to 9 years in prison. In total, he should have served 4 years and 6 months. On March 30, his term in detention center expires, therefore, we will be obliged to release him,” said the so-called minister of interior of occupied Abkhazia, Robert Kiut.
According to the “law” of the occupied Abkhazia “On temporary regulation of calculation of the period of deprivation of liberty”, for persons sentenced to deprivation of liberty in general regime colonies, serving their sentences in temporary detention centers and remand centers, one day of the served sentence is equal to two. Therefore Bebua’s time was cut in half.
Following Bebua’s arrest in 2020 several rallies were held in Tbilisi demanding Bebua’s release, with protesters accusing the Georgian government of inaction. The issue of Bebua’s release was discussed several times in the format of international negotiations in Geneva. According to Bebua’s relatives, his health condition deteriorated while in confinement.
The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) said that in the process of releasing Irakli Bebua from illegal imprisonment, “both the “hotline” mechanism operated by the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) and all other negotiation and communication levers and tools available to the central government were actively used.”
The service’s statement said that “the central government, continues to work actively for the release of all citizens of Georgia illegally detained in the occupied territories.”
Also Read:
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- 22/01/2025 – Two Georgian Citizens Illegally Detained by Russian Occupation Forces Released
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- 19/10/2023 – SJC: Detained Gali Georgian’s Health Needs Urgent Attention
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