23:00, 14 January 2011

Suspected Georgian spies detained in South of Russia

According to the Russian FSB, an officer of one of the military units of the Southern Military District was detained as a suspect of spying for Georgia.

"The bodies of the Russian FSB (Federal Security Bureau) have detained, on suspicion of a treason in the form of espionage, a Russian citizen, a soldier of one of the military units of the Southern Military District Lieutenant David Aliev, who gathered, under the instructions of Georgian intelligence services, secret information about the troops of the District," said the spokesman of the FSB's PR Centre.

The officer's mother - Irina Alieva - was also detained. According to Russian secret services, she wanted to take the information gathered by her son to Georgia, the "Interfax" reports.

Both have been already charged of treason in the form of espionage, the RIA "Novosti" reports.

The Georgian MIA refused to comment on the arrest of officer David Aliev on suspicion of spying for Georgia.

There is also no information about the viewpoint of the detainees themselves.