Kyiv guarantees former Georgian special-ops officer wanted by Russia to be released on Thursday - Tbilisi
TBILISI/KYIV. Jan 25 (Interfax) - Kyiv guarantees that a former Georgian serviceman, Vice-Col. Giorgi Tsertsvadze, wanted under the Interpol Red Notice for committing a murder in Russia in 2003, will be released from custody once his involvement in the Donbas hostilities is confirmed, Tbilisi said.
"The Ukrainian prosecutor general, who has a long-standing relationship with us, told me that the Georgian Legion had confirmed Tsertsvadze's involvement in the hostilities in Ukraine and he was waiting for a written confirmation to the effect. Mr. Lutsenko guarantees that a Kyiv appeal court will set Tsertsvadze free on Thursday," Georgian parliament deputy Givi Targamadze told the Rustavi-2 television channel.
Georgian Legion Commander Mamuka Mamulashvili told Rustavi-2 live from Ukraine that a letter confirming Tsertsvadze's involvement in the military operation in Donbas as a volunteer would be sent to the Ukrainian prosecution service.
He said he spoke with a representative of the Ukrainian prosecution service several times on Tuesday and confirmed Tsertsvadze's involvement in the military operation. "We will send a relevant letter to the Ukrainian prosecution service within hours," Mamulashvili said.
The detained vice-colonel's wife, Tatiana Tsertsvadze, told Rustavi-2 she had many questions to the Georgian law enforcement authorities.
"I've learned that an Interpol Red Notice for my husband was issued on December 21, 2016. We bought him a ticket to Kyiv on December 25. He freely passed border control at Tbilisi International Airport and was detained in Kyiv several hours later. I wonder why the Georgian law enforcement authorities did not detain Giorgi for almost a month after the Red Notice had been issued and why he was allowed to fly to Kyiv. My husband was not in hiding. We saw the New Year in at home together with our children," the wife said, adding that she did not believe the Georgian police were incompetent or a border guard of Tbilisi Airport was negligent and ignored the Interpol notice.
In turn, Larisa Sargan, press secretary for the Ukrainian prosecutor general, said on Facebook that, in accordance with the international law, Ukraine had a right to decline the extradition request for Tsertsvadze in case his life was in danger.
"We are responsible for conducting an extradition check and for making a relevant decision. It is crucial for Ukraine to comply with its international obligations. If any circumstance indicates a threat of death or torture [faced by Tsertsvadze), we will decline to expedite the extradition," Sargan quoted Ukrainian Deputy Prosecutor General Yevhenii Yenin as telling Rustavi-2.
As soon as all documents are collected and all relevant agencies present their opinions, the Prosecutor General's Office will make a final decision based on every aspect, including Ukrainian national interests, the deputy prosecutor general said.
Irakli Sesiashvili, member of the Georgian parliamentary majority and head of the Defense and Security Committee, said on Tuesday that Tbilisi had been trying to prevent Tsertsadze's extradition from Ukraine to Russia.
Tsertsvadze, who is wanted by the Interpol for a murder committed in Russia in 2003, was detained at Kyiv Zhuliany Airport on Sunday, January 15, and the Kyiv Solomensky District Court put him under a 40-day arrest.
The Georgian opposition party, United National Movement, demanded on Tuesday that the Georgian Prosecutor General's Office launch an inquiry into the responsibility of Georgian governmental agencies for the detention of Tsertsvadze.
