TBILISI, November 13 - RAPSI. Georgia will not extradite Russian national Akhmed Chatayev, who was detained last September in the Lopota gorge during a military operation of the Georgian Special Forces against an armed group, News Georgia reported on Monday, in light of the statement the Georgian Ministry of Justice issued.

The case hearings will resume on November 15.

The ministry has stated that it has appealed to the European Court of Human Rights with a request to comment on the recommendation issued to Ukrainian officials to refrain from extraditing Chatayev to Russia.

During a military operation that began on August 28, 2012 against an armed group in Lopota, Georgian Special Forces engaged an unidentified armed group which had allegedly taken several people hostage in the Lopota gorge not far from the border between Georgia and the Russia's Republic of Dagestan.

At least 14 people were killed in the operation, among them 11 members of the armed group (including at least two Georgian and five Russian citizens) and three Georgian Special Forces personnel. On September 8, the Foreign Ministry reported that Russian citizen Akhmed Chatayev, one of the suspected militants, had been detained.

Chatayev has been charged with illegally obtaining, storing and carrying explosive devices. He faces 3-5 years of imprisonment. His lawyer has said that the charges brought against him are illegal, claiming that Chatayev arrived in the Lopota gorge to hold negotiations.