icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
13 Feb, 2009 13:44

Saving private Glukhov?

Members of the pro-Kremlin youth movement ‘Nashi’ have gathered near the Georgian embassy demanding the return of Russian soldier Alexander Glukhov.

The protesters chanted “Return the soldier! One for all and all for one,” repeating the words after one of their leaders.

Konstantin Goloskokov of Nashi said that the movement has information that about 11 Russian citizens are being forced to stay in Georgian territory.

“That is a dirty Saakashvili provocation,” he was quoted by Itar-Tass as saying.

The soldier was serving in South Ossetia and at the end of January crossed the border with Georgia, where he currently resides.

On January 28 the soldier announced on Georgian TV that he asked for political asylum in Georgia.

The Russian military claims that Glukhov had been kidnapped by the Georgian services and has been subjected to psychological brainwashing.

The soldier’s mother says she thinks that her son is under psychological pressure.

“We periodically talk on the phone and I have an impression that he cannot speak freely as somebody is next to him,” she was quoted by Itar-tass as saying.

Meanwhile, Glukhov said that nobody kidnapped him and he left for Georgia voluntarily.

The soldier said that he got tired of poor conditions and conflicts in his headquarters and just left.

He said that he was not subjected to any kind of pressure on the part of Georgian authorities.

Podcasts
0:00
23:13
0:00
25:0