Georgia suspects UN observers were have been kidnapped by Georgians

A day after four observers of the UN military mission, Klaus Ott, Herbert Bauer, Henrik Soerensen and Georgian interpreter Lasha Chikashua, were kidnapped, the Georgian police suspects the crime was committed by Georgians.

So far all attempts to find the kidnapped UN mission members have not bring any a success. The local population and elders of the gorge's upper zone have also been involved in the search, the press centre of the presidential plenipotentiary in the Kodor Gorge has reported.

The Georgian National Security Council and Intelligence Department are inclined to believe the kidnapping was committed to demand a ransom. So far the criminals have not tried to get in touch or made any terms.

Presidential plenipotentiary Emzar Kvitsiani, the Georgian Defence Ministry's special Kodor unit, Okhotnik, as well as a task force comprised of members of the Border Protection Department, National Security and Defence Ministries are currently in the Kodor Gorge.

On June 5th, at 9.20, local time, four observers of the UN military mission patrolling the area near the Georgian-Abkhazian administrative border were taken hostages. Russian peacekeepers accompanying the observers were disarmed and released.

Release of the Russian peacekeepers caused suspicions in Tbilisi that they could have been involved in the kidnapping. Only the Georgian side, UN observers and Russian peacekeepers knew the route. However, during preliminary investigations revealing a number of exhibits the police began to think the observers had been kidnapped by citizens of the Kodor Gorge.