Two citizens of Georgia arrested in Adzvi village

Lado Bitchashvili, Shida Kartli

On March 22, representatives of Russian occupation forces arrested two citizens of Georgia in Adzvi village of Gori municipality for crossing the so-called border. The detainees are Ioseb Gundishvili, resident of Adzvi village and Davit Gerkeuli, resident of Akhalubani village. As the residents of Adzvi village said they were arrested nearby the church in their village.

“A young boy died in our neighborhood and they were helping the family to install fence around the grave. Then they went to the church to light candles and the officers arrested them. We know nothing more. I am very worried because nobody has contacted us. I think they will free them soon but we are very much afraid after the murder of Tatunashvili,” said Lali Matcharashvili, the mother of one of the detainees Davit Gerkeuli. 

The villages Akhalubani and Adzvi are located on the ABL but as the residents of Adzvi said there is no occupation line or so-called “border” marks in the territory where the two men were arrested. Locals said they used to go to the church freely and nobody was ever arrested there. 

Occupation forces arrested Gundishvili and Gerkeuli nearby the village church but left Ioseb Gundishvili’s car on the place, which was examined by the Georgian MIA officers for the security purposes.

Gori municipality mayor Konstantine Tavzarashvili arrived in Adzvi and met the family members of the detainees. He said all state institutions are informed about the fact as well as the EUMM. Tavzarashvili said they actively work on the release of the detainees.

According to the statement of the de-facto state security committee of the occupied South Ossetia, Davit Gerkeuli and Ioseb Gundishvili are charged for illegal crossing of “border.”

“Currently, border service of South Ossetia is studying the case. The issue of sending the case materials to the court is under consideration,” the statement read.