Georgia to release Russian ‘spies’

TBILISI – Georgia was due to release four detained Russian military officers into the hands of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe yesterday, a spokesman for the Georgian president said.

The head of the OSCE was expected later yesterday in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, as Georgia’s Western allies stepped up efforts to resolve the spiralling dispute between Tbilisi and Moscow, sparked by last week’s arrest of the four Russian officers on spying charges. “Today, after the briefing of the OSCE chairman and the Georgian president …the four Russian military officers who were detained will be transferred to (the care of) OSCE representatives,” presidential spokesman Vano Noniashvili said.A spokesman for the OSCE in Vienna said the the trans-Atlantic security alliance was acting as a mediator between Georgia and Russia and the four men would no longer face spying charges.”This is an alleged spying case, nothing has been proven.There is no question of taking them into custody,” Mikhail Evstasiev told the AP by telephone from Vienna.Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, who holds the rotating chairmanship of the OSCE, was expected to meet with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.De Gucht has been in contact in recent days with the Georgian leader, Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday denounced Georgia’s arrest of the Russian officers as “state terrorism,” as the two ex-Soviet republics traded angry statements in their worst bilateral crisis in years.The commander of Russian military forces in Georgia said his troops had been put on high alert and ordered to shoot to kill to defend their bases.Moscow responded to the arrests last week by recalling its ambassador and evacuating its citizens, with some senior pro-Kremlin lawmakers urging stronger measures.Nampa-AP”Today, after the briefing of the OSCE chairman and the Georgian president …the four Russian military officers who were detained will be transferred to (the care of) OSCE representatives,” presidential spokesman Vano Noniashvili said.A spokesman for the OSCE in Vienna said the the trans-Atlantic security alliance was acting as a mediator between Georgia and Russia and the four men would no longer face spying charges.”This is an alleged spying case, nothing has been proven.There is no question of taking them into custody,” Mikhail Evstasiev told the AP by telephone from Vienna.Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht, who holds the rotating chairmanship of the OSCE, was expected to meet with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.De Gucht has been in contact in recent days with the Georgian leader, Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov.Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday denounced Georgia’s arrest of the Russian officers as “state terrorism,” as the two ex-Soviet republics traded angry statements in their worst bilateral crisis in years.The commander of Russian military forces in Georgia said his troops had been put on high alert and ordered to shoot to kill to defend their bases.Moscow responded to the arrests last week by recalling its ambassador and evacuating its citizens, with some senior pro-Kremlin lawmakers urging stronger measures.Nampa-AP