18:29, 18 December 2019

Bild and Bellingcat: Germany deports GRU officer after Khangoshvili's murder

Site of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili 's murder. Screenshot of Der Spiegel's page, author: Paul Zinken/ DPA

One of the diplomats declared by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) as persona non grata after the murder of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in Berlin was an agent of the Russian secret services, foreign editions Bild and Bellingcat report.

The "Caucasian Knot" reported that the German law enforcement agencies suggested that the Russian state or the Chechen authorities could order the assassination of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili. In connection with the above suggestion, on December 4, the German MFA declared two persons of the Russian Embassy as personae non gratae. The decision was explained by the lack of the Russia's assistance in the investigation into the Zelimkhan Khangoshvili 's murder.

Zelimkhan Khangoshvili was shot dead in Berlin on August 23, 2019. His relatives have suggested that Russian and Georgian special services were interested in eliminating him. Khangoshvili was one of the organizers of explosions in Moscow metro, Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has stated.

After the murder in Berlin, one of the Russian diplomats expelled from Germany turned out to be an agent of the Chief Directorate of the General Headquarters (formerly the Chief Intelligence Directorate, known as GRU), report the German newspaper Bild and the journalistic group Bellingcat the results of their joint journalistic investigation. According to the investigation, the Russian diplomat worked as the Deputy Military Attaché at the Russian Embassy in Berlin, but was engaged in recruitment of German officials to lobby for the Russian-led Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 18, 2019 at 12:40 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.