Georgia Photojournalist Admits Working For Russia

Authorities say one of three Georgian news photographers accused of spying for Moscow has admitted passing secret official data to a fellow photographer suspected of being a key Russian agent.

The three photojournalists have been charged with collecting confidential material on Georgia’s pro-Western leadership that was allegedly sent to Russian military intelligence.

Foreign Ministry photographer Giorgi Abdaladze said in video testimony that he had passed information about high-level meetings to the alleged leader of the spy ring, Zurab Kurtsikidze, a photographer for the European Pressphoto Agency.

The other suspect, President Mikheil Saakashvili’s personal photographer Irakli Gedenidze, has also been shown in video testimony released by the authorities saying that he provided pictures and data to Kurtsikidze.

The photographers have been put under two months’ pretrial detention and could face up to 12 years in jail if convicted.

compiled from agency reports

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