Berlin considers the unjustified decision of Moscow to expel two German diplomats. So on December 20, the German Foreign Ministry commented on the corresponding decision of the Russian Federation.
“This step was not a surprise, but from the point of view of the federal government, it is completely unfounded,” – said in a statement from the foreign ministry.
The German Foreign Ministry stressed that the decision of the federal government to expel two Russian diplomats was an adequate response to the court’s verdict, according to which the murder of Georgian citizen Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in Berlin in 2019 was allegedly committed “by order of Russian state” instances.
“The federal government is committed to dialogue with the Russian Federation on the basis of international law and mutual respect. Today’s decision of the RF Foreign Ministry again burdens these relations, ”the FRG Foreign Ministry concluded.
The expulsion of two German diplomats was reported by the Russian foreign ministry earlier Monday, noting that the decision was a mirror response to the actions of German colleagues. The Foreign Ministry stressed that the verdict in the Khangoshvili case against the Russian Vadim Sokolov is absolutely unfair and biased.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Berlin should expect symmetrical measures in response to the expulsion of diplomats. She noted that Moscow’s steps will be announced soon.
On December 15, the FRG authorities declared two diplomats of the Russian Embassy in Berlin persona non grata because of the Khangoshvili murder case. FRG Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock noted that this murder constituted a grave violation of German law and the sovereignty of the FRG. In addition, she stated that the murder was allegedly committed by the state order.
As the press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said, Moscow categorically disagrees “with such a conclusion and such a formulation.”
On the same day, the Supreme Court of Berlin found Russian Vadim Sokolov (Krasikov) guilty of murdering a Georgian citizen and sentenced him to life imprisonment. The prosecutor’s office considered that the murder was allegedly committed on instructions “from government departments of the government of the Russian Federation.” The defense insisted on the lack of evidence base.
According to the investigation, the accused, disguised as a tourist, arrived in Paris from Moscow on August 17, 2019. After that, he headed to Berlin, where a murder victim asked for asylum in 2016. On the day of the crime, according to law enforcement officers, the attacker approached his victim from behind and shot him from a pistol with a silencer, and then shot him twice more in the head of the fallen man.
In October 2020, it was reported that Khangoshvili participated in the preparation of a terrorist attack in the Moscow metro and in Beslan in 2004, and in 2013 organized a channel for the supply of terrorists from the Pankisi Gorge of Georgia to Syria through Turkey. In 2002, Khangoshvili was put on the wanted list in Russia on suspicion of terrorism.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
