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South Ossetia Jails Georgian For Spying


A court in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia has sentenced a Georgian citizen to 10 years and two months in jail.

South Ossetia's Committee for State Security (KGB) said on July 18 that Guram Gegelashvili, 57, was found guilty of espionage and illegal weapon possession.

Investigators say Gegelashvili was providing Georgia’s secret services with "intelligence" information.

The region has enjoyed de facto independence from Georgia since August 2008, when Russia recognized South Ossetia and another Georgian breakaway territory, Abkhazia, as independent states after defeating Georgian troops in a short war.

Russia has been keeping military forces in both separatist regions since then.

Georgia considers the breakaway regions part of its territory.

Based on reporting by Interfax and ITAR-TASS

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