The Moscow Basman Court has sentenced Rusudan Ivaneishvili, a Georgian volunteer fighting on the side of Ukraine, to prison in absentia. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia accuses the Georgian citizen of "participation as a mercenary fighter in the armed conflict" and has announced a search warrant for him.

"The motion of the investigation to arrest Ivaneishvili R. in absentia was approved on June 11, 2024," the court said.

Russian state media report that Rusudan Ivaneishvili, born in 1995, hails from the village of Gelati in Tkibuli municipality. She joined the Georgian Defense Forces and underwent sniper training, participating in the NATO operation Decisive Support in Afghanistan in 2016. According to Russian media, in 2022, Ivaneishvili joined the Georgian Legion and took part in battles against Russia. She is currently fighting in Ukraine alongside her husband, Gela Beglarashvili.

The couple was among the four Georgians awarded by President Volodymyr Zelensky on April 26, 2022, for their personal courage and bravery in defending Ukraine's state sovereignty and territorial integrity. In recent months, the Russian court has sentenced several Georgian citizens fighting in Ukraine in absentia, including the commander of the Georgian Legion, Mamuka Mamulashvili, his deputy Levan Fifia, and Legion member Gvantsa Gelashvili. Since February 24, 2022, over 60 Georgian fighters have been killed as a result of Russia's aggression in Ukraine.

Georgian News
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