Video-Crew of the TV 3 Was In Inhuman Conditions in Tskhinvali Prison

Lado Bichashvili, Shida Kartli 

Tskhinvali de-facto authority released three employees of TV 3 – journalist Bela Zakaidze, cameraman Vakho Lekiashvili and technician of the TV-Company Mikheil Mikheov within 24 hours. 

Russian soldiers detained video-crew of the TV3 in Adzvi village, Gori district on April 16 and assigned them to South Ossetian de-facto authority later. Whereabouts of the detained TV-crew were not known during several hours. Later, official representative of South Ossetia’s de-facto president Murat Jioev confirmed information about detention of TV3’s video-crew in ABL village of Adzvi. Jioev said according to preliminary information Georgian journalists were detained and law enforcement bodies were working to estimate their personality and circumstances about illegal crossing of border.

TV3 representatives were released by 19:00 on April 17. They left occupied territory via Ergneti village. TV3 film crew recalled detention fact and time spent in Tskhinvali detention setting.

Journalist Bela Zakaidze said, they were arrested on the Georgia controlled territory.

Bela Zakaidze, TV3 journalist: “This detention had serious psychological impact on me –Tskhinvali security isolator particularly impressed me because there was inhuman situation there. It was very cold. As for, crossing of so-called border, we did not even approach the place but they arbitrarily detained us.”

Cameraman Vakho Lekiashvili said after detention his apparatus was damaged and video-footage about so-called borderline and occupied territory was erased.

Colleagues expressed solidarity with the detainees in Ergneti village. They held symbolic demonstration and requested Tskhinvali de-facto government to release journalists from prison.

Ministry of Internal Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia actively worked on the timely release of the TV3’s film-crew. EUMM members also participated in the negotiations with the Tskhinvali de-facto authority.

Adzvi River was borderline in Adzvi village of Gori district; occupied territory started from the river. Russian soldiers intend to draw borderline towards our territory. New borders will include the territory of St. George Church too. Locals are afraid they will not have chance to go to the church on St. George Holiday. Occupation information sign was already set up nearby the church. Locals expect the territory will be surrounded with wire that will deprive them from possibility to go to the village cemetery either.

Creeping occupation line is non-military continuation of 2008 armed conflict. Hot results of cold war – TV3 was working on the reportage under this title, when Russian soldiers arrested them nearby St. George Church in Adzvi village.