Abkhazian authorities release 33 Georgian hostages

On April 8, authorities of the unrecognized Abkhazian republic released 33 Georgians - the residents of the village of Zemo Bargebi, Abkhazia's Gali district, who had been captured by an armed Abkhazian group in the conflict zone the day before and taken to the Ochamchira district of Abkhazia. The captured people were released after the regular quadripartite meeting in the village of Chuburkhindzhi in the Gali district on April 8. At the meeting, representatives of the Georgian side demanded that the civilians be released. Representatives of the Russian peacekeeping force deployed in the zone of the Abkhazian conflict supported the demand.

According to unofficial data, the action to capture the Georgian hostages was conducted by the Abkhazian group that did not belong to security agencies of the republic. The people were taken hostages because of the April 6 abduction of two Abkhazian servicemen in the village of Repi in the Gali district. Then, the Abkhazian authorities claimed responsibility for the detention in order to avoid a scandal and provided the release of the hostages.

Editors note: See also the article "Armed group captures bus with civilians in Abkhazia's Gali district".