Sukhum/Agency Caucasus – President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia threatened the administration of Abkhazia with use of police force unless the Georgian journalist who had been detained in Abkhazia was released.
Saakashvili, who vowed to regain administrative control of Abkhazia and Georgia while he was running for the elections, spoke about the detention along the border between Abkhazia and Georgia of three people, including Malkhaz Basilia, a journalist working for the Mze television of Georgia.
Although Georgia was defeated in the 1992-1993 war against Abkhazia, Saakashvili did not hesitate to pronounce words of declaring a potential war when he addressed in his words his Abkhazian counterpart Sergei Bagapsh:
"I want to say to Sergei Bagapsh that either Bagapsh immediately orders his illegal police officers to stop torturing the injured and kidnapped journalist or I, the President of Georgia, will order the Georgian police to take action to get Basilia released."
Apsni Press cited Bagapsh’s own words when it reported that the detainees would not be released under any circumstances and be definitely brought to court as the laws required: "We will not negotiate this with anybody." FT
