16:23, 9 July 2008

South-Ossetian teenager released by Georgia was suspected of espionage

A boy of 14 from South Ossetia, who disappeared in the evening of July 7, was accused by the Georgian party of espionage and released by Georgia on the following day, July 8, is in a shock condition.

Andrei Petrochenko was detained in the evening on July 7 in a suburb of Tskhinval in the frontier zone. Georgian media informed that he was a spy and gathered data on Georgian combat machinery deployed in the conflict zone.

The boy was released after the Ossetian party had handed over to Terkhi Khakal, head of the OSCE Mission in Georgia, the Georgian militaries arrested on July 8 in the conflict zone.

Marina Plieva, Andrei Petrachenko's mother, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that her son holds out, but it costs him a lot.

"He holds out. He looks OK, talks to his peers and friends, but only mother can understand to what extent his condition is heavy. Georgian policemen had accused him of spying and forced him to sign documents in the Georgian language, which he doesn't understand. He was handcuffed," the woman said.

Author: Zalina Siukaeva, CK correspondent