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Detained serviceman in Georgia says his arrest a provocation

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TBILISI, September 29 (RIA Novosti) - One of the four servicemen detained Wednesday in Georgia told a journalist on his way to court Friday that his arrest was a provocation.

Georgia announced earlier on Friday morning that the four had been officially charged and would be arraigned later in the day. One other man detained Wednesday with the four was released during the night, and the Interior Ministry said Friday morning that another was Georgian rather than Russian, as originally thought.

The press service of the Georgian Interior Ministry said earlier that the trial of the four servicemen, accused of espionage, will be held behind closed doors.

The Russian Foreign Ministry dismissed the spying allegations Wednesday night as unsubstantiated and senior officials, including Defense Minster Sergei Ivanov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, have led the charge of forceful criticism of Tbilisi's decision to arrest the officers.

"Gangsterism in Georgia has taken on a state scale," Ivanov said Thursday.

The Foreign Ministry said Thursday it was recalling the ambassador and was evacuating some embassy staff and all family members over safety concerns.

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