Georgia concerned by Estonian police officer’s arrest in Russia

Georgia’s Foreign Ministry is deeply concerned about the fate of an Estonian police officer who was sentenced to 15 years in a Russian prison for espionage after he was "illegally" snatched off Estonian territory last year. 

Eston Kohver was found guilty of espionage and other charges by the Russian court. 

Georgia's Foreign Ministry said Kohver was illegally abducted from Estonian territory, near the country's border with Russia in September 2014. 

The Georgian Foreign Ministry expresses hope that the international community will spare no effort to ensure the immediate release and safe return of the Estonian citizen to his country,” said the Ministry in a statement. 

Kohver case has provoked an international diplomatic row.

Estonia and the European Union (EU) insist the officer was abducted on Estonian soil and Kohver claimed he was innocent.

However Russia's domestic security service, the FSB, said he was conducting a spying operation on Russian land. 

After Kohver was arrested for spying near the Luhamaa border checkpoint on September 5 last year, the Estonian was charged with other crimes including smuggling arms and illegally crossing the Russian state border, according to Interfax news agency.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini called on Russia to release Kohver, saying he had been deprived of the right to a fair trial.