Three Citizens Kidnapped from Khurvaleti Are in Tskhinvali Detention Setting

Lado Bichashvili, Shida Kartli

On August 22, Russian soldiers arrested three citizens of Georgia in Khurvaleti village adjacent to the occupied territory in Shida Kartli. All of them are in the pre-trial detention setting in Tskhinvali now. 

Father and son Avtandil and Shota Atskarunashvili and Ilia Kudukhashvili were arrested. Family members report the Atskarunashvilis went to the village to buy hay stock in the morning, when they were kidnapped.

Ketevan Maisuradze, mother of Shota Atskarunashvili: “Officially nobody notified us about their detention but we called Tskhinvali and learned they are in Tskhinvali militia. We found a mediator there and sent him to the militia office; he could not see detainees but militia people confirmed they are in the detention setting. Reportedly they are waiting for documents and the earlier they have documents, the sooner the detainees will be released. The militia men promised they will contact the family but nobody has got in touch with us from Tskhinvali yet.”

Head of analytic department at the Georgian MIA Gocha Ratiani said the MIA has already started procedures into the fact and EUMM was also informed about the fact.

“We immediately interfered in the situation; EUMM was also notified about the incident. Nowadays the detainees are in Tskhinvali detention setting. We take all measures for their immediate release,” Ratiani said.

Atskarunashvilis live in Akhaldaba village in Gori district; they went to Khurvaleti village to buy hay. 

Family members claim, the territory where Avtandil and Shota Atskarunashvilis were kidnapped from, is controlled by Georgian side. They had not gone to the occupied territory and had not corssed the so-called border.