The Tbilisi City Court found fifteen people guilty of terrorism and sentenced most of them, some in absentia, to lengthy prison terms in connection to series of explosions including in the capital city Tbilisi, which Georgia said was ordered by a Russian military officer.

The court said in a statement on June 28, that Russian military officer, Yevgeny Borisov, at the time serving in Abkhazia, and a Gali-based Mukhran Tskhadaia, “who was cooperating with the Russian special services, formed a terrorist group with a purpose to terrorize population in various parts of Georgia, to trigger unrests and to target Georgian state’s strategic, political and economic interests.”

The court said that the group “carried out number of terrorist acts in Samegrelo region and Tbilisi in 2009-2010, which resulted into death of a person, as well as caused other grave consequences.”

A woman died in an explosion outside the opposition Labor Party’s office in Tbilisi on November 28, 2010.

Yevgeny Borisov was sentenced to 30 years in prison in absentia.
 
In March, 2011 the Russian Foreign Ministry said that allegations against its citizen, Yevgeny Borisov, were fabricated. It said that Maj. Borisov had not been in Abkhazia since August 2010 and could not have been involved in organizing series of explosions in Georgia in autumn, 2010.

Upon Georgia’s request Interpol issued “red notice” to assist in the arrest of Maj. Borisov. “Red notice” allows arrest warrants issued by national police authorities to be circulated to other countries to facilitate arrests and help possible extradition.

Mukhran Tskhadaia, who is also wanted by the Georgian police, was sentenced to life imprisonment in absentia; a third person also sentenced in absentia to 30 years is Melor Tskhadaia. Four others, who were arrested in late 2010 and earlier this year were sentenced to 30 years in prison.