TBILISI, Georgia, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Georgia has accused Russia of a "mild form of ethnic cleansing" for deporting Georgians it claimed were in the country illegally.
Russian President Vladimir Putin responded by saying the West should get Tbilisi to change its "irresponsible" policies.
Ethnic cleansing refers to policies or practices to displace an ethnic group from a particular territory.
In addition to deporting 132 Georgians Friday, Russia has closed transportation and postal links, raided Georgia-owned businesses and imposed visa restrictions since the neighboring country arrested four Russian soldiers on spying charges last month, the BBC reports.
The soldiers were released, but the incident inflamed tensions that have been growing since the early 1990s with Russia accusing Georgia of pursuing an "anti-Russian foreign policy," the BBC said.
"This is not only xenophobia, this is a mild form of ethnic cleansing," Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili said.
Putin said in a letter to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe "the international community cannot ignore the irresponsibility of the Georgian authorities."
