Spy trial resumes in Georgia

The trial of five citizens of Georgia and four citizens of Russia,
arrested last year by Georgian special services, has been resumed. The
previous VK report can be read here.
http://www.vestikavkaza.ru/articles/politika/confl/29343.html

The 13 accused were held in a Tbilisi jail. Four citizens of Georgia
have admitted their guilt and are now ready to cooperate with the
investigators. The nine other accused, including Russian citizens,
will be guarded in a Batumi jail.

The trial has heard 23 witnesses, including former pilots of the
Georgian Air Force who worked with the accused. None of the nine
defendants admits his guilt, and the prosecution has no evidence,
according to the lawyer of David Meskhidze, Gela Nikolaishvili.

The most interesting situation is connected with Yuri Skrylnikov, whom
Georgia calls the contact with the main intelligence directorate of
the Russian General Staff. He is among other defendants in Batumi.
Skrylnikov feels very bad, he cannot walk even, his lawyer Zurab
Rostiashvili said. He believes that the verdict will be delivered by
early June.

Nikolaishvili and Rostiashvili didn’t confirm information on the
possibility of exchanging the Russian citizens for Georgian citizens,
sentenced in Russia for espionage during and after the Five-Day War.

Georgy Kalatozishvili. Tbilisi. Exclusively to VK.