Russian Journalist Pozner Leaves Tbilisi Amid Protests Against His Visit - Reports

Russian journalist Vladimir Pozner has left the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, where local activists, angered by his past comments in support of the independence of the partially-recognized Republic of Abkhazia, launched protests against his visit, national media reported on Thursday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st April, 2021) Russian journalist Vladimir Pozner has left the Georgian capital of Tbilisi, where local activists, angered by his past comments in support of the independence of the partially-recognized Republic of Abkhazia, launched protests against his visit, national media reported on Thursday.

The activists accuse the journalist, who arrived in Tbilisi on Wednesday to celebrate his birthday, of refusing to respect the territorial integrity of their country. They surrounded the hotel where Pozner and those who arrived with him initially stayed, forcing them to leave for another hotel with the police escort. The protests soon erupted near the second hotel, with the activists throwing eggs at the building and clashing with police. The journalist though said that he was in safety in the hotel and did not know whether he would leave Georgia on Saturday as planned, or earlier.

According to Georgia's 1TV channel, law enforcement officers were mobilized at the international airport in Tbilisi, from which where Pozner and those accompanying him departed early morning.

Protesters accompanied Pozner and his friends surrounded with the police escort from the hotel to the airport and dispersed after making sure that the group left the country, the broadcaster added.

Moscow recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia on August 26, 2008, after a short war in South Ossetia, during which Georgia's forces established control over the regional center of Tskhinval but were later forced by the Russian troops to retreat. The Russian leadership, on multiple occasions, stressed that the decision reflects reality and will not be reversed. Georgia, however, refuses to recognize the regions' independence, considering them as occupied territories.