GEORGIA: KIDNAPPED FOOTBALL REFEREE FREED,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 000272 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/CARC E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KDEM GG SUBJECT: GEORGIA: KIDNAPPED FOOTBALL REFEREE FREED, DE-FACTO OSSETIANS TAKE CREDIT Classified By: Charge d'Affaires A.I. Kent D. Logsdon for reasons 1.4 ( b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Summary: A Georgian soccer referee, reportedly kidnapped on February 7 on Georgia's main east-west highway by armed South Ossetians, was released to Georgian police on February 8. South Ossetian de-facto authorities, and Russian officials, claim the referee was found and freed by Ossetian police after they retrieved the hostage in a special operation. OSCE observers examined the site of the hijacking and expect to issue a spot report on February 9. Meanwhile, Georgian officials denounced the attack, and said they will boost patrols and install cameras in this area of the highway. The UK and EU Monitoring Mission issued a travel notice urging deferral of all but essential travel along the east-west highway. Given the isolated and apparently criminal nature of the incident, we issued a warden notice urging citizens to exercise "extreme caution" when using the main east-west highway between Tbilisi and Gori. End summary. THE ATTACK ¶2. (SBU) On February 7, South Ossetians hijacked a vehicle on the main east-west highway (M1) in Georgia, near the South Ossetian administrative boundary. The OSCE reported that about 7:30 AM a group of five armed South Ossetians stopped a Mercedes near the Karapila turnoff (north of Chobalauri and south of Orchosani) and forced it, along with its four Georgian occupants, to drive to Orchosani in South Ossetia. Georgian Interior Ministry sources initially indicated mistakenly that the vehicle was a minibus (marshrutka). Three of the four Georgians were quickly released, but the driver, Malkhaz Beuklishvili, was held as the captors demanded $50,000 USD in ransom. The car was enroute to western Georgia, as the occupants were football (soccer) referees on the way to a match in Zugdidi. This was the first such cross-boundary incident to take place on this main highway since the immediate aftermath of the August war. SOUTH OSSETIANS CLAIM CREDIT ¶3. (U) On February 8, Georgian press reported that South Ossetian de-facto officials, in a press release quoting de-facto deputy minister Vitaly Gassiev, claimed they had freed Beuklishvili in a "special police operation" conducted by de-facto authorities. Publicly, Russian officials also bolstered this claim, giving the South Ossetians credit for the operation. In his remarks, Gassiev reportedly said Beuklishvili was held and questioned at the Tskhinvali police station and would be handed over to Georgian officials after finalizing certain "procedural issues." According to the press release, Gassiev claimed the kidnapping was a purely criminal act. MOIA CONFIRMS RELEASE ¶4. (C) MOIA officials confirmed to Poloff February 9, that Beuklishvili was released February 8 around 20:30. Russian soldiers returned Beuklishvili, the vehicle, and his mobile phone to Georgian police officials at Ergneti. MOIA told us that they (Georgian MOIA) had provided information on Beuklishvili's whereabouts to Russian officials in South Ossetia following the kidnapping. The Russians then located Beuklishvili and took him and his vehicle to Tskhinvali, before freeing him. (Note: It is unclear if the captors were arrested or are being held by the de-facto authorities. End note.) The MOIA said Beuklishvili had not been beaten and "is in good shape." MOIA and press reports claim no ransom was paid for Beuklishvili's release. RUSSIANS LIKELY SAW ATTACK ¶5. (C) OSCE monitors told us on February 8, that they had Q5. (C) OSCE monitors told us on February 8, that they had inspected the site of the hijacking, which runs very near the administrative boundary of South Ossetia, and will issue a spot report on February 9. Privately, the OSCE monitors told us the hijacking site and highway are only a few hundred meters from, and within view of, a Russian checkpoint. A road runs from the highway, past the checkpoint, and to Orchosani. OSCE monitors have not been able to drive past the checkpoint on this road, but know it well. They told us the road has experienced very little traffic due to the winter weather and Russian presence. The OSCE monitors examined the road taken by the hijacked car to Orchosani, and verified that the tracks of the hijacked vehicle went directly past the Russian post. Although the OSCE monitors did speak with some Russian soldiers in the area this weekend, they have not confirmed whether the Russians witnessed the attack. Regardless, the OSCE observers believe the Russians had to have seen -- and allowed -- the hijacked TBILISI 00000272 002 OF 002 vehicle to drive past the checkpoint. WARDEN MESSAGE, PATROLS TO INCREASE ¶6. (SBU) The UK Embassy and the EUMM issued travel warnings urging the deferral of non-essential travel along the main highway. In our warden messages on February 7, we urged extreme caution for any travel in the area of the attack. Chairman of Parliament's Defense and Security Committee Givi Targamadze said publicly Georgia would move to protect the road from Georgian bandits. First Deputy FM Giga Bokeria contacted the Charge to express concern about the incident and to ask for international support in condemning this kind of criminal activity. He emphasized that the Georgian MOIA planned to boost police presence in the area and would install security cameras along this stretch of highway. COMMENT ¶7. (C) This bold attack, in daylight, further confirms the need for international monitors to have access to both sides of the administrative boundary. As the attack took place in undisputed Georgian territory on Georgia's primary east-west route, the carjacking and subsequent kidnapping highlights the precarious position of Georgia's security along the administrative boundaries with South Ossetia and Abkhazia. LOGSDON