Protesters block bridges leading to capital of breakaway Georgian region Abkhazia. The reason for the tension was a dispute over a draft law to promote Russian investments, the Associated Press reported.
According to media reports, there were clashes between police and protesters at one of the blockades, but so far there are no reports of casualties.
Abkhazia is a region with a population of about 245,000, with most of the region under separatist control since the end of the Georgian-Abkhaz war in 1993. After a brief second military conflict, this time with Russia - in 2008, Georgia lost the rest of it as well.
Unrest began yesterday after the Abkhaz parliament debated a proposed law that would allow Russians to buy land and property in Abkhazia, whose mountains and Black Sea beaches make it a hot destination for Russian tourists.
After the meeting, five opponents of the bill were detained, Russian and Georgian media reported, but for now it is not clear on what grounds.
Protesters gathered outside the headquarters of the breakaway republic's security forces in the capital Sukhumi, demanding that those arrested be released and that the proposed law not be adopted.
The spokesperson of the opposition, Adgur Ardzinba, told TASS today that the five detainees are now free. "Everyone is released," Ardzinba said. He noted that he immediately called the member of the Public Chamber of Abkhazia, Sokrat Jinjolia, and thanked him for the negotiations and the assistance he provided to resolve the situation.
Bridge blockades started last night.
Abkhazian President Aslan Bzhaniya said today that steps have been taken to remove the bridge blockades, without specifying what. "The law enforcement authorities have sufficient forces and resources to ensure order and legality in the country," he pointed out.
After the five opposition activists were released, the protesters removed the blockades. Charges of petty hooliganism have been brought against three of them.