Two Russian citizens sent to jail for sending ‘warning’ texts prior to Russia-Georgia war
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Russia has sentenced two of its citizens to jail for sending 'warning' text messages just prior to the Russia-Georgia war in August 2008.
In the past 24 hours several Russian media outlets reported a Russian citizen named Oksana Sevastidi had been sentenced to seven years imprisonment after being found guilty of treason.
Sevastidi texted a friend shortly before the Russia-Georgia War in August 2008, warning her of the potential danger after she saw a train loaded with military forces heading towards Georgia’s western occupied Abkhazia region.
Sevastidi is a resident of Sochi city, in Russia's Krasnodar region, located on the Black Sea coast near the border between de facto Abkhazia and Russia.
The Krasnodar Regional Court said Sevastidi saw the train in Sochi, heading towards the occupied region.
She was sentenced to jail in March this year however news of her imprisonment was only announced now.
Meanwhile in 2014 another Russian citizen named Ekaterine Kharebava was found guilty of spying and was sentenced to six years in prison after she also warned a friend about an alleged threat by Russia.
Kharebava also saw a train loaded with weapons in Sochi and she text her Georgian friend in Abkhazia about what she saw.
News of the two women's arrests and imprisonment was not known until today, when details were spread via several Russian media.
Russia still claimed Georgia’s "provocative actions” in the currently occupied eastern region of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) forced Russia to get involved in the military confrontation, which led to Georgia losing 20 percent of the country's historic land and the recognition of Tskhinvali and Abkhazia as independent republics by Russia.
Russia stressed it was motivated to participate in the eight day war was "to protect the people living in Tskhinvali and Abkhazia”.
All international organisations and the all countries except Russia, Venezuela and Nauru underline Abkhazia and Tskhinvali are integral parts of Georgia which are now occupied by Russia.
Tbilisi calls for world unity in response to crisis
When the clock strikes midnight tonight, Georgia will mark the eighth anniversary of Russia’s aggression and occupation of Georgian territory, as a sovereign, independent state.
Georgia strongly condemns the recent ratification of an agreement between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) region to establish and mark the state border around the occupied territory.
Georgia’s Justice Minister made a special statement today, and welcomed the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s decision to authorise an investigation into possible war crimes committed during a conflict between Russia and Georgia in 2008.
In a statement today the Court said Bensouda concluded there was a "reasonable basis to believe" crimes had been committed during the short war over the Russian-backed breakaway Georgian province of Tskhinvali (South Ossetia).