The Russian occupation forces have unlawfully detained two Georgian citizens near the village of Dirbi in Kareli municipality, as reported by the State Security Service on Monday. 

Upon receiving this information, the agency said it had promptly activated the "hotline" of the European Union monitoring mission. Additionally, the co-chairs of the Geneva international discussions and other international partners have been briefed on the incident.

This recent arrest adds to a trend, with a total of five Georgian citizens being detained by occupation forces in the past week.

On April 19, three individuals who were illegally detained near the occupied village of Otrevi in central Georgia were released from the pre-trial detention center in occupied Tskhinvali after paying what is termed as an administrative fine. Tamaz Etsadashvili, Valeri Giunashvili, and Otar Terashvili spent five days in the pre-trial detention center of occupied Tskhinvali.

The timeline for the release of those currently detained near Dirbi remains uncertain. Typically, incidents of Georgian citizens being detained near the occupation dividing line tend to increase in the spring and autumn seasons, as citizens traverse fields, plots of land, and forested areas, only to be apprehended by occupying forces and taken to Tskhinvali.

Presently, seven Georgian citizens are being held in Tskhinvali's prison and pre-trial detention center, awaiting further developments.