Russia to World Court: our troops are leaving Georgia

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Russia has told the World Court its forces are leaving Georgian territory and refugees are returning to homes in the breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia asked the court to dismiss Georgia's demand to issue emergency orders to halt what Georgia called ethnic cleansing and racial discrimination by Russia and allied separatists. Georgia brought the case to the UN's highest court days after its forces were crushed by a Russian counteroffensive last month. Lawyers for Russia gave their final arguments Wednesday saying the issues raised by Georgia were being settled in negotiations. They said Russia committed to withdraw its forces in an agreement announced this week, and that Georgia was misrepresenting figures of displaced persons.