Protests as Georgia Says Photojournalists were arrested for Spying

Three Georgian news photographers detained Thursday, July 7th, on suspicion of espionage were supplying secret information to Russia. The ministry alleged in a statement that European Pressphoto Agency photographer Zurab Kurtsikidze sent images taken by two other photographers to the Russian defense ministry's intelligence services. It said police searching their homes had found photocopied plans of the layout of the presidential building, information about the president's meetings and routes of his trips. Georgian police have held Kurtsikidze in custody since Thursday along with Irakli Gedenidze -- the personal photographer for Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili -- and Georgy Abaladze, a contract photographer who works with the Georgian Foreign Ministry and has freelanced for The Associated Press. A fourth photographer, Gedenidze's wife Natia, was released from custody earlier July 9th