Sergeant Glukhov asks political asylum in Georgia

Russian Army Sergeant Alexander Glukhov who ran away from his military unit in South Ossetia has asked for political asylum in Georgia, as Shota Utiashvili, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia, has stated.

The "Caucasian Knot" reported earlier that on January 26 Alexander Glukhov, 21, who served in Akhalgori, left his unit and addressed the Georgian police for help. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Georgia, which then was confirmed by Glukhov himself, the soldier had made such decision because of intolerable service conditions.

"Glukhov is an applicant for the status of political asylum, therefore, we cannot transfer him to the Russian party," the "News-Georgia" quotes Mr Utiashvili as saying.

The "Rossijskaya Gazeta" writes that Sergey Fridinskiy, Chief Military Public Prosecutor of Russia, said that he would send a request to Georgia about the sergeant's deportation in the near future.

He added that a criminal case on desertion was initiated against Glukhov.

This is the first official confirmation that Glukhov is suspected of desertion. Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Defence had stated that Glukhov, according to preliminary investigation, was captured by Georgian special agencies and brought to Tbilisi, where he was exposed to moral and physical pressure.

Desertion is punished by imprisonment for the term of up to seven years. However, the Criminal Code has a reservation, according to which a military who has committed desertion (without arms and not as a member of organized group) can be exempted from criminal liability, if desertion was a consequence of heavy circumstances.

Alexander Glukhov said today on air of "Echo Moskvy" Radio the Russian party never contacted him on the occasion of the criminal case. According to his story he knows about the case. He added that he would like to stay in Tbilisi.

Glukhov's fate is actively discussed in the blog section of the "Caucasian Knot". For example, the user BERG...man writes: "In Georgia mass media identify Sergeant Glukhov with the overwhelming majority of Russian soldiers, which, certainly, is a lie and mere propaganda."

The user named rustavski objects: "Behaviour of Sergeant Glukhov is a reflection of real processes underway in the Russian, so to say, Army."

In the opinion of user bitarov, the reality is such that Russian Army is recruited "mainly of those who aren't able, for some reason, to "bypass" it. Moreover, much to our regret, the life in the Russian countryside is so awful (poverty, alcoholism) that appearance of such 'Glukhov' is no surprise."