**TBILISI** — A Georgian citizen detained in the breakaway region of Tskhinvali/South Ossetia has been released and transferred to Tbilisi-controlled territory, the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) announced on August 14.
While the SSSG did not release the individual’s name, the Tskhinvali-based news agency *Res* identified him as 46-year-old Giorgi Kharaishvili. According to *Res*, Kharaishvili had been detained on December 5, 2025, and accused of “illegally crossing the state border of the Republic of South Ossetia,” and his release followed the expiration of his sentence.
The SSSG stated that the central government regularly raised the issue of the citizen’s unconditional release during meetings of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism (IPRM) and the Geneva International Discussions.
The security service noted that it utilized the emergency hotline and all other available mechanisms, alongside active involvement from international partners. “The central government, together with international partners, continues its active efforts to secure the release of all Georgian citizens being held in illegal detention in the occupied territories,” the SSSG said.
According to the SSSG’s annual report, Georgian authorities recorded 34 cases of illegal detention around the occupied Tskhinvali region and 40 cases in Abkhazia during 2025.
Article and image source: civil.ge
