Serious reservations of EUMM Georgia on the detention of a South Ossetian

(BRUSSELS2) The European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM Georgia) expressed on Monday, " serious reservations on the circumstances surrounding the detention of the South Ossetian resident, Gennady Pliev, January 4th. They have in particular serious doubts that Mr. Pliev was abducted or that he was carrying a weapon at the time of his arrest” she explained in a press release. 



This statement does not come lightly. But after an investigation on both sides of the administrative limit (which is a first since the summer of 2008). The EUMM representatives were thus able to meet Pliev twice, on 5 and 8 January. And they also met the South Ossetian authorities in Ergneti and then in Tskhinvali, as well as Pliev's family and neighbors. They were also able to go to the site of the "kidnapping" alleged by the South Ossetians and submitted several questions to the Georgian authorities.

In fact, the leaders of the EUMM do not specify it expressly, but we seem to be facing an arbitrary arrest by the Georgian authorities. « Persons who cross the administrative boundary should not be dealt with by administrative bodies and should not be subject to legal action recalls the EUMM, which adds: With goodwill, detainees on both sides should be able to return home. »

(photo credit: EUMM)