TBILISI, October 30 (RIA Novosti) - Sixteen Georgian nationals detained earlier this week for illegally crossing the border into the former Georgian republic of South Ossetia were released without any preconditions on Friday.
A Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman said the group had already returned home.
Tbilisi on Wednesday accused "Russian occupation troops" of abducting the 16 Georgians from the village of Gremiskhevi in Dusheti district and demanded their immediate release.
South Ossetian border guards said the Georgians were detained in Leningorsk district after illegally crossing the border and chopping down trees.
Georgia's Foreign Ministry had expressed a "strong protest" against Russia's actions in a note handed over to Swiss Ambassador to Georgia Lorenzo Amberg.
Switzerland has represented Russia's interests in Georgia and Georgia's interests in Russia following a five-day war between Moscow and Tbilisi over South Ossetia. Georgia cut diplomatic ties when Russia recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another former Georgian republic.
