Russia protests to Georgia after Russian woman's complaint of searches in Tbilisi Airport

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of the Russian Federation has sent a protest to Georgia - through mediation of Swiss diplomats - against searches at the airport of Tbilisi of a woman-citizen of Russia, a close relative of Nino Burdjanadze, ex-speaker of the Georgian parliament.

On April 19, in the course of customs control at Tbilisi Airport, a Russian citizen Marina Bitsadze-Rodionova, at her entrance to Georgia, was detained by unidentified officials.

According to her story, employees subjected her to a search procedure, accompanying their actions by threats and physical violence, the "News-Georgia" writes.

On April 28, the Russian MFA moved a protest to Georgia in connection with the incident.

"We are not going to leave such episodes unattended; and we have expressed our resolute protest to the Georgian party through mediation of Swiss diplomats," the RIA "Novosti" quotes Alexei Sazonov, deputy spokesman of the Russian MFA.

Marina Bitsadze-Rodionov is a close relative of Nino Burdjanadze, ex-speaker of the Georgian parliament and one of the leaders of the radical opposition of Georgia.

Nino Burdjanadze has requested to provide her with video records from the airport surveillance cameras; while the victim addressed for help in the inquiry to the police and Georgian Ombudsman Giorgi Tugushi.

So far, there are no official comments of the Georgian party on Bitsadze-Rodionova's applications and no response to the protest of the Russian MFA.