Referring to the investigation aired [1] in Nodar Meladze's Saturday program on TV Pirveli on September 10, where the detained former high-ranking State Security Service (SSG) official Ioseb Gogashvili accused the government and Head of the SSG at the time, current Minister of Internal Affairs - Vakhtang Gomelauri, of collaboration with Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

Gogashvili and Aleksandre Samkharadze, the State Security Service employee at that time, provide specific examples of cooperation between the Georgian and Russian intelligence services. According to the story aired on Saturday, in December 2016 following the request of Bidzina Ivanishvili, a meeting between the representatives of the Russian intelligence service and senior officials of the Georgian State Security Service took place in Vladikavkaz. Pursuant to him, the purpose of the meeting was to strengthen communication between the Georgian and Russian intelligence services, arrange safe corridors for smuggling, assist Russian citizens, as well as to illegally hand over wanted persons to Russia. As reported, shortly after the meeting, Gomelauri met face-to-face with the head of Russia’s FSB several times. According to Gogashvili, Georgia has become a corridor for illegal Russian goods.

A few days earlier, Gogashvili also published information [2] according to which the Georgian government was coordinating with the Russian intelligence service in the process of recalling Russian diplomats from Georgia over the "Skripal case." According to Gogashvili, the list of 10 Russian special agents was agreed upon with Moscow.

If confirmed, the disclosed information by Gogashvili and the events described in the TV Pirveli investigation implies a crime against the state and/or a crime committed by a public official, as well as the Georgian government's close ties with Russia and its anti-Western course, which undermines Georgia's national interests, its European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations, and goes against the country's constitution. Accordingly, the disclosed information needs a thorough and in-depth investigation.

High-profile cases [3] over the past years raise questions about ineffective and, in some cases, selective [4] prosecution. Consequently, given the political significance of the issue, we believe that a Temporary Investigative Commission[1] should be established in the Parliament in order to properly investigate the events described in the TV Pirveli investigation.

Transparency International Georgia

Rights Georgia

Institute for Development of Freedom of Information

Open Society Georgia Foundation

Georgian Democracy Initiative

Human Rights Center