Russia Deports Four Kists to Georgia

(Tbilisi, November 27, 2002. Civil Georgia) Russian law enforcers handed over 4 Georgian citizens to the representatives of the Georgian State Security Ministry at the border point Upper Larsi today. All four are ethnic Kists, residents of Omalo village, Pankisi gorge.

As Nika Laliashvili, spokesman of the State Security Ministry, told Civil Georgia, the four were deported from Russia because of violation of the visa regime.

They were in Nazran (city in North Caucasus, Russia) for work, but were arrested by the Russian police for not having Russian visas. The Russian side has been checking their identity for certain time, but finally it was decided to deport them back to Georgia.

Nika Laliashvili stated that the Georgian State Security Ministry perceives this case as an example of concrete collaboration from the Russian side.

The Ministry has rechecked their identity and released them, since they had not committed any crime. At present all four are in their homes in Pankisi.

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