Ilia Lutidze and Nika Mamastarashvili, who were unlawfully detained by Russian occupation forces near the village of Knolevi in Kareli Municipality, along with Zurab Lobzhanidze, who was similarly detained near occupied Akhalgori, have been released, according to a statement issued by the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG).

The SSSG reported that the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) hotline and all available mechanisms at the disposal of the central government were actively employed to secure the release of Lutidze, Mamastarashvili, and Lobzhanidze from illegal detention.

"The occupying force bears full responsibility for the destructive actions perpetrated in Georgia’s occupied regions and along the occupation line. The central government, in collaboration with international partners, continues to work diligently to secure the release of all Georgian citizens unlawfully detained in the occupied territories," the agency emphasized.