Georgia Refuses to Extradite Russian Deserter

Georgia has officially refused a request to extradite fugitive Russian Junior Sergeant Alexander Glukhov, who is wanted in Russia for going AWOL from his post in disputed South Ossetia.

Glukhov recently received Georgian citizenship and status as a political refugee. The Georgian justice ministry stated on July 7 that Georgia is bound by the 1951 Geneva Convention not to hand over a refugee to a country where he may face some form of persecution.

In June, Russian prosecutors delivered an official extradition request to Tbilisi via the Swiss embassy, which acts as a go-between for the two countries since they cut off diplomatic ties following last year's war.

On June 21, another Russian soldier, Dmitry Artemyev, showed up at the United Nations office in Tbilisi after abandoning his station in South Ossetia.

Both Glukhov and Artemyev told Georgian news outlets that poor living conditions and abuse in their units prompted them to escape. Citing unnamed military officials, the Russian state-run RIA news agency said on July 2 that Artemyev was a victim of brutal hazing, a practice widespread in the Russian army.

Meanwhile, Russia has a fugitive Georgian solider of its own, Alik Bzhania, a Georgian coast guard lieutenant. Bzhania, who fled to Russia in June and requested political asylum, said that his decision was prompted by opposition to the government of Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.