MOSCOW, June 21. /TASS/. Russian nationals are strongly advised to refrain from trips to Georgia amid the aggravation of the political situation in that country, the Russian foreign ministry said on Friday.
"We are seriously alarmed over the aggravation of the political situation in Georgia," the ministry said. "As a result of activities of the radical Georgian opposition under anti-Russian slogans, our compatriots - members of the Russian parliament’s official delegation to the meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy - were hurt. Riots continue in Tbilisi."
"In this light, the Russian foreign ministry strongly recommends Russian citizens to refrain from visiting Georgia in the interests of their own security," the ministry stressed.
Situation in Georgia
On Thursday, several thousand demonstrators rallied in front of the parliament building in the center of Tbilisi to demand the resignation of Interior Minister Georgy Gakhariya and the speaker of parliament. At a certain point the demonstrators tried to storm the building. Police dispersed the rally using tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon. A total of 240 people were injured, including 102 who are still in hospital. The police detained 305 demonstrators.
The rally followed a row over the participation of Russian State Duma member Sergei Gavrilov and other Russian delegates in the 26th session of the General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy. On Thursday morning, Gavrilov opened the IAO session inside the Georgian parliament’s building in the capacity of IOC president. Georgian opposition legislators were very angry Gavrilov addressed the delegates from the seat of the speaker of parliament. In protest, the opposition disrupted the General Assembly. According to mass media reports, Gavrilov allegedly participated in combat operation in Abkhazia and Transnistria. Gavrilov refuted these allegations as untrue.