The Georgian Patriarchate has published the correspondence between the Georgian Patriarch Ilia II and the Russian Patriarch Kirill regarding the release of Zaza Gakheladze.

"To His Holiness and Beatitude, Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia,

I have received your letter of request dated June 24, 2021 relating to the release of Zaza Gakheladze, a citizen of Georgia, who is serving his sentence in South Ossetia.

Due to the well-known circumstances of Gakheladze's arrest and the charges against him (violating the life of a border guard), the case is not really easy to solve.

Nevertheless, I have taken all the necessary steps to resolve this issue positively; an appropriate appeal was also sent to Mr. A.I. Bibilov.

We hope that with joint efforts we will achieve a result that will alleviate the situation of the prisoner and the grief of his loved ones”, reads the letter of the Russian Patriarch.

"To His Holiness, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia,

Your Holiness, I greet you with respect and wish you health, long life and further success.

We would like to express our gratitude to you personally and to all the people who worked for the release of Zaza Gakheladze, which was not an easy task; Thanks God, everything ended well and he has been back to his family since July 14th.

Such steps strengthen our relationships and create a sense of gratitude in the population.

May God grant peace and love to our churches and peoples," reads the letter sent by the Patriarch of Georgia to Russian Patriarch Kirill.

source: IPN