Russian citizens that like to take their vacations on the coast of Abkhazia or in the mountains of South Ossetia may be accused of illegal border crossing by the Georgian authorities, even if they visit the regions without crossing the Georgian border.
According to the head of the information-analytical center of the Georgian Interior Ministry, Shota Utiashvili, tourists that have been noted as having visited South Ossetia or Abkhazia will be fined approximately $1,200. Those that cooperate with the authorities of Sukhumi and Tskhinvali may be sentenced to up to 5 years imprisonment. The law concerns any citizen of the world, RIA Novosti reports.
A person who refuses to pay the fine may be jailed. Utiashvili did not clarify the number of people who had been jailed for breaking the border crossing law, but he denied information in the Russian media that most of the people arrested are citizens of Russia and Armenia.
It was reported earlier in the media that some Russian and Armenian citizens are being held in ‘Gldani’ prison for violating the border law.
