Russian Embassy Condemns Arrest of Russian Servicemen
The Russian Embassy in Georgia issued a statement on May 21 condemning the brief arrest of four Russian servicemen by the Georgian police in Batumi, Adjara Autonomous Republic and blamed the Georgian side for attempting to hinder the process of negotiations between the two sides over the withdrawal of the Russian bases from Georgia.
?The servicemen were arrested [by the Georgian police] without any reason? The circumstances [of this arrest] indicate that this measure was undertaken [by the Georgian side] in order to further complicate the atmosphere of the upcoming talks between the Georgian and Russian sides over the military issues [scheduled for May 23 in Tbilisi],? RIA Novosti news agency quoted the Russian Embassy?s statement.
Four servicemen from Russia?s 12th military base stationed in Batumi were handed over to the military base’s command after being detained in the Batumi police station for several hours late on May 20. Georgian officials in Batumi said that the Russian servicemen were drunk and were arrested for ?hooliganism? in the street.
The Russian Embassy also stated that this incident in Batumi triggered the Russian side ?to consider the issue of recommending Russian citizens to refrain from traveling to Batumi and the rest of Adjara.?
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