Michael H. Posner, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights, and labor said four Georgian teenagers held in Tskhinvali since November 4 should be released “as quickly as possible, immediately.”

Speaking at a joint news conference in Tbilisi on November 17 with Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister, Giga Bokeria, he said there was “no basis” for holding four teenagers, between 14 and 17 years old, in detention.