Monthly Review

Chronology of Illegal Detentions in 2022

2023 / 02 / 23

Author:  Elene Mindiashvili

The year 2022 turned out to be active in terms of illegal arrests. November was distinguished by the number of detention cases. In February, May and July - no illegal detention was recorded.

The main part of the cases on the territory controlled by the central government of Georgia was recorded by the occupation forces. Citizens were detained while performing various activities and were taken to the nearest military base or directly to Tskhinvali prison. Accusations were mainly the “illegal” crossing of the so-called border. There were cases when citizens actually crossed the occupation line and moved to the territory controlled by the de facto government to see their relatives and family members, although such cases stopped when a regular practice of periodically opening checkpoints has been introduced since August 2022.

The occupation regime uses the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for proceedings. Illegally detained people are mostly tried for the “violation of the state border” under Article 322 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Last year, in addition to Article 322, a relatively more serious “crime” appeared - the charge of attempted sabotage (under Article 281 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) as it was in the case of Levan Machabeli.

In 2022, according to the Netgazet news web-page, which received statistics from the EU Monitoring Mission and the State Security Service, a total of 42 citizens were arrested near the Tskhinvali region and the occupation line, of which only about 17 cases became known to the public.

In terms of the frequency of arrests, the Gori municipality section of the occupation line was distinguished, although citizens were also detained in the sections of the Sachkhere, Kareli and Kaspi municipalities.

As of February 20, three Georgian citizens remain in illegal detention in Tskhinvali prison: Mamuka Chkhikvadze, Kakhaber Natadze and Lasha Khetereli.

Chronology of Illegal Detentions

January 5

On January 5, the occupation forces arrested a resident of the village of Shaumiani (Marneuli municipality), Lasha Khetereli, for the sixth time. He was released from Tskhinvali prison on June 17, 2021, after one year imprisonment. Reportedly, Khetereli periodically visits his close relatives living in Tskhinvali. The information about his arrest was confirmed by the State Security Service. Khetereli remains in illegal detention until now.

22 January

On January 22, “border guards” of the occupation regime detained a resident of the village of Bebnisi (Kareli municipality), Levan Makashvili, near Tskhinvali. As the de facto State Security Committee reported, “the unlawful act of the border violator was prompted by hopelessness, the lack of socio-economic stability in Georgia, as well as the impossibility of finding a job.” According to the “Committee,” due to health problems, Makashvili was handed over to the Georgian side on January 24 without penalty.

March 26

On March 26, in the vicinity of the village of Kere (Gori municipality), the occupation forces arrested a citizen of Georgia, a former serviceman of the 3rd Brigade of the Georgian Armed Forces and a participant in the 2008 war, Levan Machabeli, on charges of the so-called illegal border crossing. The de facto Security Committee also accused Machabeli of sabotage. He was released on August 18, 2022.

April 5

On April 5, in the village of Adzva, on the territory controlled by the central government of Georgia, the occupation forces illegally detained a resident of the village of Akhalubani (Gori municipality), Giorgi Kujoshvili. He was released on September 9, after five months of illegal imprisonment.

April 19

On April 19, Vladimer Kaniashvili who was illegally detained in the vicinity of the village of Tsinagara (Akhalgori municipality) on December 9, 2021, was released from Tskhinvali prison.

April 25

On April 25, Kakhaber Merebashvili who was illegally detained in the vicinity of the village of Medjvriskhevi (Gori municipality), was handed over to the Georgian side on the territory controlled by Tbilisi. The State Security Service of Georgia (SSS) published information about the release on its Facebook page, however, did not specify the exact date and circumstances of the arrest.

June (exact date unknown)

On June 16, the so-called State Security Committee (KGB) of the Tskhinvali region, announced the arrest of a Georgian citizen with the initials “M.” The Georgian citizen was charged with the so-called illegal border crossing, however, “M” was released after paying an administrative fine of RUB 10,000. According to the information spread, the detainee was a female.

June (exact date unknown)

The occupation regime detained a Georgian citizen, Nukri Kalashnikov, on charges of the so-called illegal border crossing, although the information about the arrest was not known to the public until the 108th IPRM meeting. Kalashnikov was released on September 27, about four months after the arrest.

July 27

On July 27, a 22-year-old US citizen, Frank Yanez, was illegally detained by the occupation forces on charges of illegal crossing of the so-called border. He was released on August 24, after about a month of imprisonment.

August 23

On August 23, the occupation regime illegally arrested a citizen of Turkmenistan, Razgeldi Choliev, and a citizen of Turkey, Tolga Demir. The arrest occurred near the occupied village of Tsinagara (Akhalgori municipality) bordering the village of Khurvaleti (Gori municipality). Detainees were released on December 29, after 6 months of pre-trial detention as a preventive measure.

September 14

On September 14, the occupation forces illegally detained a resident of the village of Perevi (Sachkhere municipality), Gela Iobashvili. As Irakli Antadze, the Deputy Director of the Analytical Department of the SSS, stated the hotline of the European Union Monitoring Mission about the arrest was not activated, therefore the Georgian side received information about the fact late - on September 22. According to his report, the occupation regime sentenced Iobashvili to a two-month preliminary illegal detention as a preventive measure, although he was released on February 6, 2023, after five months of illegal imprisonment.

October 19

On October 19, in the vicinity of Bershueti (Gori municipality), the occupation forces illegally detained a Georgian citizen, Tamaz Glurjidze, on charges of the so-called illegal border crossing. He was released on October 20, the second day after the arrest.

November 1

On November 1, in the vicinity of the village of Mejvriskhevi (Gori municipality), on the territory controlled by the central government of Georgia, three Georgian citizens, Vladimir Jokhadze, Malkhaz Tielidze and a minor D. G., were illegally arrested. According to the locals, they were hunting at the time of their arrest. The occupation regime released the minor youth on November 3, and Jokhadze and Tielidze were released on November 4.

November 24

On November 24, in the vicinity of the village of Artsevi (Gori municipality), on the territory controlled by the central government of Goergia, the occupation regime detained a resident of the same village, a Georgian citizen, Giorgi Jarmelashvili. He spent a week in Tskhinvali prison and was handed over to the Georgian side on December 1.

December 18

The occupation forces detained Manuchar Gulitashvili, a resident of the village of Perevi (Sachkhere municipality), on charges of the so-called illegal border crossing. He was arrested while fishing in the part of the village which is controlled by the central government of Georgia. Gulitashvili was released on December 21, three days after the arrest.