19:43, 17 August 2005

Abduction in Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone

Unknown persons abducted Gocha Jarmalashvili, an 18-year-old Georgian resident of Zemo Archevi in the Georgian-Ossetian conflict zone, Rustavi 2 television company reports. Two weeks ago, the abducted man's mother had told the television company that the abductors had sent her a letter from her son asking for help.

Gocha's brother, in turn, told the television company that Zemo Archevi is under South Ossetia's control and representatives of the South Ossetian government had promised to provide assistance in searching for the abducted man. He added the abductors wanted to exchange Gocha for Marek Dudayev, a resident of Tskhinvali who had been in a Georgian prison for more than a year, charged by the Georgian party with grave crimes, Interfax says.