Russia deports 682 Georgians in row with Tbilisi

MOSCOW, Oct 17 (Reuters) Russian courts ordered the deportation of 682 Georgians in a row with Tbilisi over a spy scandal that has sent relations between the two neighbours to their lowest level in more than a decade.

Russia deported a planeload of Georgians on October 6. after Tbilisi briefly detained four Russian officers on spying charges and surrounded a Russian military headquarters in Tbilisi.

''In the period from October 5 to October 13 Moscow courts have issued 682 orders on deportations based on materials submitted by law enforcement agencies,'' said Anna Usachyova, a spokeswoman for Moscow City Court.

The Kremlin was enraged by Tbilisi's arrest of the officers and President Vladimir Putin ordered his ministers to protect Russia's ''native population'' by cracking down on illegal immigrants and markets where many traders are not Russian.

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said Russia was stirring xenophobia and Georgians deported to Tbilisi in cargo planes told a Reuters correspondent their documents were in order.

''In 99 per cent of the cases, decisions were made on the deportation of those citizens who broke migration laws,'' the Moscow city court spokeswoman said.

A total of 1,245 people were deported in October, Russia's Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev said yesterday.

Saakashvili has said he is considering filing a case against Russia in the European Court of Human Rights over what he called rights abuses against Georgians living in Russia.

Last week Georgia turned away two Russian cargo planes carrying Georgians deported from Russia after Saakashvili called the freight aircraft ''cattle carriers.'' European Union diplomats told Reuters last week that the EU was preparing to voice strong condemnation of Russia's treatment of neighbouring Georgia unless the situation improved.

REUTERS SP RAI0930