17:35 10/11/2007

TBILISI, November 10 (RIA Novosti) - Georgian opposition leader Shalva Natelashvili has applied for the United States to grant political asylum to his family, his party spokeswoman said Saturday.

Labor Party leader Natelashvili, who is facing espionage charges, handed a letter with the request to the U.S. Embassy in Georgia.

"I fear pressure can be used against my family," the letter says.

Labor Party representative Nestan Kirtadze said Natelashvili is currently in Georgia and continues his political activity.

On Wednesday, riot police with shields and batons broke up mass rallies which had run for six days in central Tbilisi. Opposition supporters were demanding President Mikheil Saakashvili's resignation and early parliamentary elections.

Saakashvili declared a nationwide state of emergency for 15 days.

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<div style="border:1px solid #d3d3d3; padding:17px 0 0px 17px; background:#ffffff; width:510px;"><div style="width:100%; overflow:hidden;"><a target="_blank" href="http://en.rian.ru/world/20071110/87463709.html" style="text-decoration:none;"><img src="http://en.rian.ru/i/eng/logo_sml.gif" alt="RIA Novosti" title="RIA Novosti" style="float:left; margin-right:10px;" border="0" /></a><a target="_blank" href="http://en.rian.ru/world/20071110/87463709.html" style="color:#000000;text-decoration:none;display: block; margin: 0 10px 0 0 ;"><strong style="font:19px Georgia,Arial,sans-serif; line-height:16px; font-weight:bold;">Georgian opposition leader asks U.S. for political asylum for his family</strong></a><p style="font:13px Georgia,Arial,sans-serif; padding:5px 10px 0px 0;"><span style="color:#5590bf;">17:35</span> <span style="color:#5590bf; padding-right:7px;">10/11/2007</span> <span style="font-size:12px;">Georgian opposition leader Shalva Natelashvili has applied for the United States to grant political asylum to his family, his party spokeswoman said Saturday. <a target="_blank" style="color:#335f86; padding-left:10px; text-decoration:underline;" href="http://en.rian.ru/world/20071110/87463709.html" title="Georgian opposition leader asks U.S. for political asylum for his family">>></a></span></p><div style="padding:6px 0 15px 30px; font:10px Verdana,sans-serif;"><a target="_blank" style="color:#114472; text-decoration:underline;" href="http://en.rian.ru" title="RIA Novosti">Other news of the day</a></div></div></div>

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Georgian opposition leader asks U.S. for political asylum for his family

17:35 10/11/2007 Georgian opposition leader Shalva Natelashvili has applied for the United States to grant political asylum to his family, his party spokeswoman said Saturday. >>

Other news of the day