Georgian Authorities Arrest Man On Terrorism Charges
By RFE/RL's Georgian Service
November 22, 2015
Georgian intelligence officials say they have arrested a 29-year-old man on terrorism charges amid stepped up security measures following the November 13 terrorist attacks in Paris.
The State Security Service said on November 22 that David Borchashvhili was arrested upon his return to Georgia from Turkey the previous day.
The agency said Borchashvili was charged under Article 238 of the Criminal Code, which applies to affiliation with a foreign terrorist organization or assistance to a terrorist organization.
The agency didn't provide further details.
Borchashvili arrived in Georgia early on November 21 but officials deported him back to Turkey hours later. The same day, Turkish police sent him back to Georgia, where he was arrested.
Borchashvili's family says he went to Turkey in search of work a year ago.
It remains unclear whether he had been to Syria.
Georgian officials announced security was being increased at airports, borders, and facilities of "strategic importance" after the November 13 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people and injured hundreds.
Responsibility for those attacks has been claimed by the Islamic State militant group.
Officials say dozens of Georgian nationals have joined Islamic militants in Syria and Iraq.
Among them is Tarkhan Batirashvili, also known as Umar al-Shishani, an Islamic State battlefield commander in northern Syria.
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