Vyacheslav Kudziev, deputy chief of police in the South Ossetian village of Artsev, was arrested by Georgian military police on 5 December on counterfeiting charges. Kudziev reportedly resisted arrest and was wounded during the operation.
South Ossetia has denied the charges brought against Kudziev and described his arrest as a "kidnapping." The past few days have seen Georgia and South Ossetia accusing each other of abducting several officials, policemen, and civilians.
(Novosti-Gruziya/Civil Georgia)