In Georgia, political scientist convicted as Russia's spy

Today, the Tbilisi City Court has sentenced political scientist Vakhtang Maisaya to 20 years of imprisonment for espionage in favour of Russia.

According to the inquiry, in the course of the August War of 2008 Maisaya cooperated with special services of foreign states, performed their instructions and sent messages in ciphered form by E-mail. Part of materials contained state secrets, including data about the military, political and economic situation in Georgia, governmental changes, and about purchases of arms and combat machinery and equipment.

According to the MIA, Maisaya had access to state secrets. The "News Georgia" writes that in the video record of the interrogation, widespread by the MIA, he pleads guilty.

Lawyer Natiya Korkotadze said that Maisaya does not admit the charges and insists that he is innocent. "The verdict of the Tbilisi City Court will be appealed against at the Appeal Court," the "Interfax" quotes her as saying.

Mr Maisaya was detained on May 5, 2009, in his apartment in Tbilisi. On that day Tbilisi saw many-thousands-strong protest actions of supporters of the opposition, and an attempt of military mutiny was suppressed in the military base in Mukhrovani near Tbilisi.