TBILISI, Oct 29, 2009 (AFP) - Georgia's rebel South Ossetia region on Thursday released five Georgian citizens detained for crossing into rebel-held territory but the separatists continued to hold 16 others seized this week.
Rebel authorities said in a statement that the five men had been "expelled from the republic of South Ossetia" after admitting to having "illegally crossed the Georgian-Ossetian border."
Georgia's Rustavi-2 television also reported that the men, who had been detained on Monday, had been released and were in Georgia's Gori district near South Ossetia.
South Ossetia however continued to hold 16 Georgian citizens detained by Russian border guards on Sunday.
Georgia insists the men were seized from within Georgian-controlled territory while collecting firewood, while South Ossetia says they were detained after crossing the de facto border.
European Union ceasefire monitors in Georgia have expressed concern that the detentions will increase tensions in the volatile area and have called for the release of the 16 men.
Tensions remain high near South Ossetia following last year's Georgia-Russia war over the breakaway region.
The five-day war in August 2008 saw Russian troops and tanks pour into Georgia to repel a Georgian military attempt to retake control of South Ossetia, which had received extensive Russian backing for years.
Days after the conflict, Russia recognised South Ossetia and another rebel Georgian region, Abkhazia, as independent, a move that has so far been followed by only Nicaragua and Venezuela.
Thousands of Russian troops and border guards are now stationed in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which Moscow says are needed to protect the regions against Georgian aggression but which Tbilisi calls an illegal occupation.
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Received by NewsEdge Insight: 10/29/2009 13:38:33
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