Accessibility links

Breaking News

Georgian Dies During Deportation From Russia


Georgian deportees return to Tbilisi on October 10 (InterPressNews) TBILISI, October 17, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- A Georgian accused of being an illegal immigrant today died in a Moscow airport while being deported.


Reports suggest that Tengiz Togonidze, 58, was struck down by an asthma attack. Doctors on the scene gave Togonidze first aid but were unable to bring him out of a coma.


Georgians who shared a cell with Togonidze in detention in St. Petersburg said he had asked to be permitted to have fresh air. Togonidze had subsequently been brought from Saint Petersburg to Moscow by bus.


Since the start of a crisis in Russian-Georgian relations sparked by Georgia's arrest of alleged Russian spies last month, Russia has deported a large number of Georgians from the country who it claims are illegal immigrants. The exact number of Georgians deported is not known.

Moscow And Tbilisi

Moscow And Tbilisi

Russian military hardware being withdrawn from a Russian base in Batumi, Georgia, in August 2005 (TASS)

WHAT COMES NEXT? Although Russia is unlikely to push an aggressive military response to the current tensions with Georgia, it has a number of economic, political, and diplomatic options at its disposal. Already on October 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin summoned his inner circle to weigh Moscow's options... (more)


RELATED ARTICLES

Russia Says Georgia Sanctions Will Continue

Russia Suspends Transport, Postal Links To Georgia

EU Commissioner Urges Dialogue With Moscow

Ulterior Motives Seen Behind Escalation Of Spy Row

Georgia Turns Russians Over To OSCE

MORE: Coverage of the situation in Georgian from RFE/RL's Georgian Service and in Russian from RFE/RL's Russian Service.


ARCHIVE

RFE/RL's English-language coverage of Georgia and Russia.

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG