Russia Jails Soldier For Georgia Spying: Agencies
Russia and Georgia fought a brief war in August 2008
October 16, 2009
MOSCOW (Reuters) -- A Russian military court has jailed a soldier for nine years for passing secrets to Georgia during a war between the two countries last year, Russian news agencies reported.
Prosecutors said Sergeant Jemal Nakaidze had been lured by Georgian secret services to pass on military information for money and the promise of an apartment in the Georgian city of Batumi, RIA news agency reported.
Investigators said Nakaidze had served Georgian secret services between February and November 2008. Russia and Georgia fought a war in August of that year over the rebel region of South Ossetia.
The presiding judge in the Southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don said the court was showing leniency because Nakaidze had admitted guilt and cooperated with investigators, RIA reported.
Nakaidze, who has a Georgian surname, was stripped of his rank. A Russian court in August jailed another soldier for passing secrets to Georgia.