15:00, 7 July 2009

Georgia refuses to deport sergeant Glukhov to Russia

The Ministry of Justice of Georgia has rejected the petition submitted by the Russia's GPO with the request on extradition of Russian sergeant Alexander Glukhov, who deserted in January from his unit in South Ossetia and ran away to Georgia.

Russia has opened a desertion criminal case against Glukhov. In late April, the GPO of the Russian Federation sent a request to Georgia on Glukhov's extradition.

However, as stated by Georgia's Ministry of Justice, well before receipt by the Georgian party of the extradition petition, the Ministry on Refugees' Matters and Accommodation of Georgia had satisfied Glukhov's application and granted him the refugee status, as reported by the "Rosbalt".

"According to the Geneva Convention on Refugee Status, Georgia had undertaken the obligation not to extradite a person to the state, where he or she is under a threat of persecution," the "Gazeta.Ru" quotes the statement of Georgia's Ministry of Justice.