Prepared by Messenger Staff
Georgian Citizen Detained by Russian Forces Near Occupation Line
A Georgian citizen was illegally detained by Russian occupation forces on August 19 near the village of Kveshi in the Gori municipality, close to the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region, the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) reported.
According to the SSSG, the co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions and Georgia's international partners were immediately informed of the detention. The agency stressed that every available mechanism has been activated to secure the release of the detained citizen as quickly as possible.
"The responsibility for all destructive acts committed in the occupied territories of Georgia, as well as along the occupation line, lies with the occupying power," the SSSG said, directly holding Russia accountable for the incident.
The illegal detention comes amid ongoing tensions along the occupation line, where Russian forces frequently carry out so-called "borderization" activities and detain Georgian citizens under various pretexts.
EU Delegation Says Georgia's EU Path Leads to Safer Future
The European Union Delegation to Georgia highlighted the country's EU membership aspirations as a step toward a more secure and stable future. In a statement posted on social media, the delegation emphasized the EU's long-standing role in fostering peace and cooperation in Europe.
"The European Union was created in the 1950s to rebuild a continent devastated by war. Today it is the most peaceful region in the world, where former rivals work together to achieve prosperity," the delegation said. The statement noted that since the EU's founding, the continent has experienced more than 70 years without war, describing this as a historic achievement in establishing long-lasting peace.
"Georgia's path toward EU membership is a path leading to a safer and more secure future, which means becoming part of this historic peace project," the statement concluded.
Irakli Kupradze Named Joint Candidate for Tbilisi Mayor by Two Parties
The political parties Lelo - Strong Georgia and Gakharia for Georgia have selected Irakli Kupradze, Secretary General of Strong Georgia, as their joint candidate for mayor of Tbilisi in the upcoming October 4 local elections. The announcement was made at an event held in Rike Park.
During the presentation, Tazo Datunashvili, one of the leaders of Lelo - Strong Georgia, called on supporters to commit fully to the campaign. "Fight to the end, fight with every possibility, and fight only until victory," he said.
Datunashvili framed the campaign as a mission to protect Georgia from external threats, stating, "Let's save Georgia once again from conquest, let's save this country from the Russian boot. This is the mission we wake up with, and this is the mission we go to sleep with."
Ana Buchukuri, leader of Gakharia for Georgia, expressed optimism about the cooperation between the two parties. "We are confident that our cooperation will continue successfully. We are not fighting against each other, we are fighting against the system that replaced democracy with autocracy," she said.
