MOSCOW. July 16 (Interfax) - Russian human rights activists urge politicians, statesmen and military commanders to prevent aggravation of the Russian-Georgian relations and warn that a war with Georgia can lead to a catastrophe.

"If a war starts, Russia will come to an absolute political catastrophe. A possible exclusion from the Council of Europe is a sensitive blow. But those who hate the European Court will be tremendously happy. There will be no need to agree our actions with Washington, London and Brussels. We shall see a strong patriotic upsurge. A tremendous chauvinistic storm will be unleashed," the human rights activists said in their statement on Wednesday.

The main authors of the statement are the leader of the oldest human rights defense organization Moscow Helsinki Group Lyudmila Alekseyeva, the head of the For Human Rights movement Lev Ponomaryov, Civil Assistance Committee head Svetlana Gannushkina, director of Sakharov museum and public center Yuri Samodurov.

"Russia and Georgia have been linked by friendship with a record of many centuries. And if an incorrigible things happen, we and future generations will be ashamed in the same way as we are ashamed in respect to Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Chechnya," the statement said.

"Russia, as a considerably stronger military power, should reveal more restraint," it said.

"In any case, the active phase of the conflict will be short, and the aggressor will gain nothing apart from some temporary tactical successes. The peoples of Abkhazia and South Ossetia will suffer the most in this conflict," it said.

"We propose to all responsible Russian politicians, statesmen and military commanders to take every effort to prevent escalation of the conflict in the Caucasus. We are calling on the civil society to support our position and decisively oppose the escalation of the Georgian-Russian conflict," the document said.

"It is necessary to stop the dilly-dallying with recognition-non- recognition of the self-proclaimed republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, reject the cynical use of their status as a tool for blackmailing Georgia in the issue of joining NATO," it said.

"If the Russian peacekeeping force is lacking a sufficient authority for prevention of conflicts in the ceasefire zone, - it is necessary to reject the pride of the superpower and attract other countries that are friendly to Russia and Georgia," it said.