MP Targamadze arrested in absentia in Russia returns to Georgia

Givi Targamadze, a Georgian MP, who is wanted under a request of Russian law enforcement bodies, has returned today from Vilnius to Tbilisi.

On February 21, the Basmanny District Court of Moscow arrested the Georgian politician in absentia. Then, Givi Targamadze's defence appealed against his arrest. On March 1, the Russian MIA put the Georgian MP on the international wanted list. After that, Targamadze said that he would challenge the Russia's decision at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

Because of the Russia's request, Targamadze spent three months in Lithuania, while his case was considered there. Today, he has stated at Tbilisi Airport that he had managed to prove his innocence and was deleted from the Interpol's wanted list.

"I managed to prove that all the allegations of the Russian Prosecutor's Office are far-fetched; and there are absolutely no proofs that I had allegedly sponsored the Russian opposition and provoked protests in Moscow," the "Georgia-Online" quotes Mr Targamadze as saying.

The "Interfax" adds with reference to the General Prosecutor's Office of Georgia that so far there are no grounds for detention of Targamadze in Georgia.