U.S. citizen Frank Yanez was released by Tskhinvali and returned to Tbilisi-controlled territory, according to Tskhinvali-based RES.

According to the State Security Service of Georgia, the “occupying power bears full responsibility for the destructive actions carried out in the occupied regions of Georgia and along the occupation line”.

They denoted that in Yanez’s case, both the hotline mechanism and other tools at the government’s disposal were actively used. Information was also continuously provided to the co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions and international partners.

The Government of Georgia continues to actively work to release all illegally detained persons both in occupied Tskhinvali and Abkhazia”, - reads the statement of SSSG.

Yanez, born in 1999, was detained by occupation forces on 27 July near Balaani village in Akhalgori. Tskhinvali claimed that responsibility for the incident rests with “the leadership of Georgia and the United States, which refuse to recognize the sovereignty of South Ossetia”.