Photo: social media
Officers of Georgia’s State Security Service detained Gulbaat Rtskhiladze, the head of the non-governmental organization “Eurasia Institute” and the founder of the “Immortal Army” movement, a local analogue of Russia’s “Immortal Regiment.” He is suspected of espionage. Georgia’s Channel One reported this.
Details. According to law enforcement, Rtskhiladze gathered and passed intelligence information to foreign special services over many years. The State Security Service said that for this purpose he created information platforms and organized events across the country. Presumably, this includes the activities of the “Immortal Army.”
The agency claims that he passed all collected information to representatives of the intelligence services of two states. According to the investigation, he met them both in Georgia and outside the country, and also sent data electronically.
The State Security Service believes that Rtskhiladze acted for material gain and in the interests of a foreign state. The agency did not specify which countries were involved or what exact information he allegedly transmitted.
A criminal case on espionage charges has been opened against Rtskhiladze. He faces up to 12 years in prison.
⚪️ Who is he? As Tbilisi Life notes, Rtskhiladze is considered one of the main promoters of a pro-Russian and pro-Kremlin agenda in Georgia. The “Eurasia Institute” led by him recently created a Council for Monitoring Russophobia. Rtskhiladze himself actively justifies Russian aggression against Ukraine and blames Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying that he provoked the Russian Federation.
Organizations registered in Rtskhiladze’s name included the “Immortal Regiment of Georgia,” the “People’s Movement for Georgian-Russian Dialogue and Cooperation,” and “Caucasian Cooperation.”
Last year, the investigative journalists’ association iFact found that he had received funding from Russia’s “Foundation for Support and Protection of the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad.”