Georgia releases photojournalists

22 July 2011 Last updated at 15:35 GMT Journalists held a support rally in Moscow for the three Georgians this week A court in Georgia has released three photojournalists who were arrested earlier this month and accused of spying for Russia.

The three Georgian photographers were given suspended sentences of up to three years after reaching a plea bargain with prosecutors. The three confessed to involvement in espionage.

Human rights groups accused Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili of intimidating the media.

Russia earlier condemned the arrests.

It called them symptoms of "anti-Russian hysteria". Russia sent thousands of troops into Georgia in 2008 to help separatist rebels in a brief war against Tbilisi's forces.

The three released were: Presidential photographer Irakli Gedenidze, foreign ministry photographer Giorgi Abdaladze and European Pressphoto Agency employee Zurab Kurtsikidze.

The BBC's Damien McGuinness in Tbilisi says plea bargaining is a widespread practice in Georgia, but also a controversial one.

Human rights groups say the practice enables the authorities to strike deals behind closed doors.

In this case such a bargain means that the full evidence of why the photographers were arrested will now not be heard in a proper court hearing.

Our correspondent says the deal may mean freedom for the photographers, but it will further fuel the fears of some journalists, who say the government can use the threat of prison to force admissions of guilt.

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Eurozone releases more Greece aid

2 July 2011 Last updated at 20:42 GMT There have been violent protests against the austerity measures in Greece Eurozone finance ministers have approved the latest tranche of emergency help for the Greek economy.

They will release 12bn euros (?10.4bn, $17.4bn) in the next two weeks to help Greece meet spending commitments and avoid defaulting on its huge debts.

Earlier this week, the Greek parliament passed tough austerity measures demanded by the European Union and International Monetary Fund.

MPs backed the measures despite angry protests on the streets of Athens.

The EU and IMF have already agreed to provide Greece with a total of 110bn euros in emergency loans, with eurozone finance ministers discussing the details of a second bail-out designed to help Greece pay its debts until the end of 2014.

Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos welcomed the eurozone move, saying it "strengthened the country's international credibility".

He added: "What is crucial now is the timely and effective implementation of the decisions taken in parliament, so we can gradually emerge from the crisis in the interest of national economy and the Greek citizens."

'Breathtaking'

Earlier on Saturday, Polish Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski criticised Europe's handling of the Greek debt crisis.

He suggested that too much emphasis had been put on austerity measures and not enough on growth.

And he accused opposition parties in some unnamed eurozone countries of showing "breathtaking short-sightedness" in their opposition to support for Greece.

His comments come after Poland took over the six-month presidency of the European Union (EU) on Friday.

Mr Rostowski will now chair meetings of EU finance ministers, and hopes to join talks among eurozone finance ministers - even though Poland has not adopted the euro as its currency.

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