Okruashvili: Russian Headquarters will Remain Sealed Off
Georgia will not lift its security cordon around the headquarters of the Russian Troops in the Trans-Caucasus (GRVZ) in Tbilisi unless Russia extradites its officers suspected of espionage, Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili said on September 27.
Earlier on September 27 Georgian law enforcers arrested four Russian officers on charges of espionage. Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili said that another suspect ?is hiding? in the Russian troops? headquarters, which has been sealed off by Georgian police.
?This person does not have diplomatic immunity, so we will be very strict in our demands that this person be handed over to the Georgian side. The headquarters itself does have diplomatic immunity and we are committed to strictly follow this agreement. But we will not lift the police cordon around the headquarters as long as there are people [in the headquarters] against whom we have justified suspicion of involvement in espionage,? Okruashvili told Rustavi 2 television.
He also said that in an attempt to show its ?constructiveness? the Georgian side last October released Russian Lieutenant-Colonel Roman Boiko, who was arrested by Georgian law enforcers for allegedly masterminding a sabotage campaign.
?We?ve done this because we were expecting similar constructive steps from them [the Russian officials] as well, but in a response we have received the absolute opposite. So from now on there will be no constructiveness any more,? Okruashvili said.
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