According to the State Security Service (KGB) of the de facto Republic of South Ossetia, in July, 33 lawbreakers were arrested at different sections of the so-called state border. Twelve people were fined administratively, three were expelled from the "Republic" without penalty, ten offenders were warned, and the remaining eight are being investigated.
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Finally, the Russian occupation forces released the illegally detained US citizen Frank Yanez and handed him over to the central government of Georgia. On July 27, 23-year-old Yanez was arrested for "illegal border crossing" in Balaani village of the occupied Akhalgori district.
On August 17, 35-year-old Levan Machabel was released from Tskhinvali prison, illegally detained by the Russian military near the village of Zemo Artsevi on March 26. The State Security Service of the de facto Republic of South Ossetia stated that Levan Machabel was a serviceman of the 3rd Brigade of the Georgian Armed Forces from 2005 to 2009 and took an active part in the August 2008 hostilities on the territory of South Ossetia: "After the start of a special military operation to demilitarize Ukraine, Levan Machabel tried to join the "Georgian National Legion" and as a volunteer, to take part in military operations against the Russian armed forces in Donbas. When he refused to do so due to health problems, Machabel decided to illegally enter the territory of South Ossetia and organize a provocation against the Russian military contingent stationed in the republic. As a result, the court sentenced him to 6 months in prison. He spent five months in jail.
On August 5, Zaza Megrelishvili and Tamaz Gogichashvili, who were illegally detained near the village of Lopani, occupied by the Russian occupation forces, were released. However, both of them were arrested on December 15, 2021.
Mamuka Chhikvadze, another ex-serviceman, is still in custody in Tskhinvali prison. He was arrested in December 2021 near the village of Nikozi, Gori municipality. Besides illegally crossing the so-called border, he is accused of drug smuggling. In May 2022, the de facto court sentenced Chkhikvadze to 5.6 years in prison, which his local lawyer appealed, and the illegal sentence was reduced to 3.8 years.
According to the decision of the de facto authorities, movement in the direction of the occupied Tskhinvali region was limited for almost three years. However, according to the decision made on August 18, the so-called checkpoints of "Razdakhan" (Odzisi) and "Pereu" (Perevi) were partially opened. The so-called Crossings will be open every month from the 20th to the 30th, from morning to evening (9 to 7 local time).
According to the head of the so-called Border Service, Valery Alikhanti, on August 20-22, in just two days, the so-called About 500 people crossed the border from both sides. Of these, 411 so-called He used the "Razdakhan" crossing. As a result, two hundred sixty-seven people moved to the territory controlled by Tbilisi, and 241 people entered the occupied region.
"Everything is normally going. The only problem is that the citizens who crossed the territory of Georgia earlier without a permit cannot return. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a mechanism for their return home", said Alikhanti.
