Ever since their brief war in August of 2008, tensions between Russia and Georgia have been high. In the 1950s, the United States, had its fair share of conflict with Russia, and much paranoia and movie plots about Russian spies was the result. Over the past few years, since the war with Russian, Tbilisi, Georgia’s Foreign Ministry, has received similar criticisms of Russian spy paranoia, and even hysteria. “I can only state that the anti-Russian hysteria in Tbilisi is again gaining momentum,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich recently told press.
Dozens of suspected Russian spies have been arrested by the Georgian government, the latest of whom are Iraki Gedenidze, Giorgi Abdaladze and Zurab Kurtsikidze. Gedenidze was the Georgian President, Mikheil Saakashvili’s, personal photographer.
Abdaladze was a freelance professional, and Kurtsikidze worked for the European Pressphoto Agency. “Photos taken by myself and Iraki went all around the world, were published in magazines and newspapers of those countries where Mikheil Saakashvili portrays himself as a great democrat.” said Abdaladze in his statement.
The three will remain in custody for two months awaiting trail.
“The authorities are earnestly convincing the global community and its own population that Georgia is flooded with Russian spies and infiltrators, which brave local special forces are fighting tooth and nail,” Lukashevich added.
Protestors held signs that read “No Pictures, No Democracy,” alluding to their demands that Tbilisi authorities provide transparency on the case, by lifting the seal of secrecy. “Of course I don’t think they’re guilty, because we haven’t had any proof so far of their guilt,” explained Nino Danelia, from the Coalition for Media Advocacy, an independent nongovernmental organization.
Despite Tbilisi’s consistent denial that the arrests are politically motivated, many media watchdog groups, and concerned members of the media are suspicious. “My God, this reminds me of when I was a young journalist and there were two blocs,” offered EPA’s editor-in-chief Cengiz Seren, referring to the Cold War. Seren goes on to express his skepticism regarding the documents allegedly found at Kurtsikidze’s apartment.
“These are things we usually have for that type of coverage. If there is any evidence suggesting this is a spy case . . . why don’t they produce it?”
Article Written by Marisa O’Connor
Information derived from the Moscow Times.
