President Saakashvili said on October 9 that the Georgian authorities are currently considering the possibility of referring the Georgian deportees’ cases to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Georgia accused Russia of violating the rights of a number of Georgians who have recently been deported from Russia.

“We will use all legal means to protect our citizens; we are now considering the possibility of appealling to the European Court of Human Rights, but the issue is not yet finally decided,” Saakashvili said while visiting a Russian school in Tbilisi.

“I am here to express my solidarity to Russians and other national minorities living in Georgia. Georgia is a homeland for every Georgian citizen,” Saakashvili said while visiting the school.

A planeload of Georgian deportees was expected in Tbilisi airport on October 9, but the flight was canceled after the Georgian side refused to give entry permission to one passenger and one cargo plane from the Russian Emergency Ministry. The Georgian side cited technical problems behind the decision.

One of the Russian planes was also expected to return to Moscow with over 100 Russian citizens willing to depart from Georgia.