Protesters in Georgia demand release of detainees after mass brawl

At the protest action, residents of the Georgian village of Toriya, which is predominantly populated by Armenians, demanded to release their three fellow villagers detained after the conflict with Azerbaijanis over a place for grazing.

The action was held on August 24 after a clash of Toriya villagers with shepherds from Tusheti. The reason for the clash, according to one of the participants, was that shepherds grazed sheep in the territory of their village; and when villagers sent a 16-year-old boy to ask the shepherds to drive the sheep out of their pastures, the teen was beaten up, the "Jnews.ge" reports.

Several Toriya villagers were injured, including two minors; they received help and were released, the "Nor.ge" reports.

According to villagers, ethnic Armenians took part in the conflict for the villagers; and their opponents were natives of Azerbaijan. Earlier, the Armenians living in Toriya never had major clashes with Azerbaijanis, villagers assert.

Policemen detained 11 people from both sides, the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has reported.

The conflict has no political overtones; it is a common domestic incident, Smbat Kyuregyan, a member of the Ninotsminda Municipality Sakrebulo, has explained as quoted by the "Sputnik.Armenia".