Zurab Lobzhanidze, who was illegally detained near the village of Balti by Russian-controlled occupation forces, has been released . He had been placed in the pre-trial detention centre of occupied Tskhinvali, according to the State Security Service.

Radio Liberty reported that Lobzhanidze is not a local resident and had come to the area as a guest. The occupied village of Balti borders Atotsi in the Kareli municipality of central Georgia. 

In the process of securing Lobzhanidze's release, both the hotline mechanism of the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia and all relevant tools of the central government were actively utilised, the agency said.

"Responsibility for all destructive actions carried out in the occupied regions of Georgia and along the occupation line rests with the occupying power. The central government, together with international partners, continues to work actively to release all citizens of Georgia who are illegally imprisoned in the occupied territories," stated the information released by the State Security Service. 

Eight citizens of Georgia remain in the currently occupied Tskhinvali prison and detention center. Their release will be discussed at the upcoming meeting of the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism working group, scheduled for mid-July.