Ex-Georgian officer granted asylum in Russia

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18:0205/11/2009

MOSCOW, November 5 (RIA Novosti) - Russia has granted refugee status to a former Georgian officer, a Russian Federal Migration Service (FMS) spokesman said on Thursday.

Georgian coastguard officer Lt. Alik Bzhaniya crossed into the former Georgian republic of Abkhazia in May and requested political asylum from Russia in June.

Bzhaniya said his decision to desert was connected to his dislike for the policies of President Mikheil Saakashvili. Georgia said he had already been dismissed over disciplinary violations.

Russia and Georgia fought a five-day war in August 2008 which began when Georgian forces attacked South Ossetia in a bid to bring it back under central control.

Two weeks after the end of the war, Russia recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia, another former Georgian republic, as independent states.

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<div style="border:1px solid #d3d3d3; padding:12px 15px;"><div style="padding-bottom:10px;"><a target="_blank" href="http://en.rian.ru/" title="'RIA Novosti' newswire.Top Russian news and analysis online" style="text-decoration:none;"><img src="http://rian.ru/i/rian_logo_small_eng.png" width="121" height="15" alt="RIA Novosti" title="'RIA Novosti' newswire.Top Russian news and analysis online" style="border:0px;font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:20px; font-weight:bold; color:#003768;" /></a></div><div style="width:100%; overflow:hidden;"><a target="_blank" href="http://en.rian.ru/russia/20091105/156722262.html"><img src="http://en.beta.rian.ru/images/15657/73/156577390.jpg" width="120" height="83" alt="Georgian officer" style="border:0px;float:left;padding:0px 15px 5px 0px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:14px;" /></a><a target="_blank" href="http://en.rian.ru/russia/20091105/156722262.html" style="color:#000000;text-decoration:none;"><strong style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:20px; font-weight:bold;">Ex-Georgian officer granted asylum in Russia </strong></a><p style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12px; padding-left:135px;"><span style="color:#5590bf;">18:02</span> <span style="color:#5590bf; padding-right:7px;">05/11/2009</span> <span>Russia has granted refugee status to a former Georgian officer, a Russian Federal Migration Service (FMS) spokesman said on Thursday.<a target="_blank" style="color:#d66938; padding-left:10px; text-decoration:underline;" href="http://en.rian.ru/russia/20091105/156722262.html" title="Ex-Georgian officer granted asylum in Russia ">>></a></span></p></div><div style="padding-top:6px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:12px;"><a target="_blank" style="color:#d66938; text-decoration:underline;" href="http://en.rian.ru/" title="'RIA Novosti' newswire.Top Russian news and analysis online">Other news of the day</a></div></div>

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Ex-Georgian officer granted asylum in Russia

18:02 05/11/2009 Russia has granted refugee status to a former Georgian officer, a Russian Federal Migration Service (FMS) spokesman said on Thursday.>>

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