Relatives of Zaza Gakheladze threaten Georgian authorities with protest actions

The Georgian authorities must take efficient action to release Zaza Gakheladze, convicted in South Ossetia for crossing the border, his relatives have stated, threatening otherwise to hold protests.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that relatives and fellow villagers of Zaza Gakheladze, a citizen of Georgia, wounded by South-Ossetian border guards, doubted the version that he had fired his hunting rifle at border guards. At the time of his detention, Gakheladze was in Georgian territory, the relatives have noted. On February 5, the Supreme Court of South Ossetia sentenced Gakheladze to 12 years and six months in prison for illegal border crossing and encroachment on the life of a law enforcer.

On June 15, in Ergneti (a village in the Gori Municipality of Georgia on the border with South Ossetia, – note of the "Caucasian Knot"), the 100th meeting was held within the framework of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism. The event was attended by Zaza Gakheladze's relatives.

Irma Bunturi, Zaza Gakheladze's wife, demanded efficient actions from Georgian authorities to release her husband.

Gakheladze's relatives have stated that they had lost hope for any efficient government's actions, and after June 23, they will start holding protest actions.

The fate of Gakheladze and other citizens kept in custody in Tskhinvali remains unclear.