Georgia detains five press photographers ‘for spying’

Journalists including personal photographer of the president detained over espionage allegations, say relatives Police in Georgia have arrested five photojournalists, including the personal photographer of President Mikhail Saakashvili. Relatives said they were being held by the counter-intelligence service. Zurab Kurtsikidze, a photographer for the European Pressphoto Agency, Shakh Aivazov of the Associated Press, freelancer Giorgi Abdaladze, presidential photographer Irakli Gedenidze and his photographer wife Natia have been detained, relatives and colleagues said on Thursday. Gedenidze and his wife were arrested in the middle of the night at their home, Gedenidze’s mother Marina told Reuters. She said police later called to say they were being held by the counter-intelligence service. Abdaladze’s wife Neiko said one of the arresting officers had told her the case concerned alleged espionage. “They came at 2am (10pm GMT), searched the house and took his cameras, computers and mobile phones,” she said. Senior interior ministry officials were not available for comment. Police in Georgia have arrested dozens of people on charges of spying for Russia over the past three years since the former Soviet neighbours fought a brief war over the breakaway region of South Ossetia. Moscow has accused the pro-western government under Saakashvili, which came to power with the 2003 “rose revolution”, of anti-Russian hysteria. Georgia Europe Press freedom Newspapers & magazines Associated Press News agencies guardian.co.uk

Posted by on July 7, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.