Georgian citizens detained in South Osetia

On Wednesday, January, 26, two citizens of Georgia were detained in the settlement of Balta, Znaur district of South Osetia. A reporter of "Caucasian Knot" received this information in the Frontier Department of Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation in South Osetia.

The officials said that these unknown people were detained for violation of state border regime of South Osetia. According to the detained, they have violated the border "for economic and domestic purposes".

After the detention the Georgian citizens were passed on to the Frontier Department of Federal Security Committee (FD FSC) of South Osetia. An investigation on the fact of violating the border is currently going on.

This has not been the first detention of Georgian citizens in the territory of South Osetia since the beginning of 2011. For instance, on January, 24, the personnel of the Frontier Department (FD FSC) of the Russian Federation in the RSO detained three citizens of Georgia for violation of the regime of crossing the border near the settlement of Tsingar, Leninogorsk district of South Osetia.

Law enforcement bodies of South Osetia have formerly stated that during the period from January, 14, till January, 18, 2011, ten trespassers were detained while illegally crossing the border with Georgia beyond the established checkpoints, six of them turned out to be citizens of Georgia. On January, 21, two of those detained were passed on to the Georgian party.