Day: April 24, 2026
A man arrested by the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) on spying charges, who pro-government media said worked for Russia, has been identified by RFE/RL’s Georgian Service as Tamaz Goloev (Goloti), a 27-year-old resident of Akhalgori, a town in the occupied Tskhinvali region.
The outlet said it spoke with Goloev’s mother, Maia, who said her son traveled from Akhalgori to Tbilisi on the morning of April 22 and was detained upon arrival. She said she learned of the detention on television and later traveled to Tbilisi but could not see him, adding that she believes authorities are “falsely accusing” him of spying.
The SSSG said on April 22 that it arrested one Georgian citizen on suspicion of “espionage” for a foreign intelligence service, adding that it would seek Interpol notices for two other Georgians currently outside the country. According to the SSSG, the detainee was recruited by a foreign intelligence service to collect “various types of information,” including about strategic facilities, “against Georgia’s interests,” and to pass it on to the service.
While the agency has not identified the individuals or the foreign country they allegedly worked for, pro-government media, including Rustavi 2, and later Imedi, reported that the suspects spied for Russia.
Outgoing SSSG chief Mamuka Mdinaradze hinted at the country but refrained from naming it during a late-night interview on Imedi TV on April 22. “It may be very good for me today, in the eyes and ears of some people, to say which country’s spies we are talking about,” Mdinaradze said. “But going forward, the Security Service is not going to limit itself to just one country, because not only that country, which might look good from a PR perspective, has such individuals [spies] in this country,” he added. “It is better not to name one country from the outset, nor another later,” he said, adding, “They [critics] will no longer be able to call us out.”
The program’s host, Magda Anikashvili, added, before being interrupted by Mdinaradze, “It may be assumed that your opponents will no longer have grounds to say that you have never exposed a spy from this country…our viewers will draw their own conclusions.”
On April 24, the Prosecutor General’s Office charged all three under Article 314 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which carries a penalty of up to twelve years in prison.
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On 21 April, after lengthy deliberations and heated debate, Abkhazia’s parliament rejected a request from the prosecutor general to strip opposition leader Kan Kvarchia of his parliamentary immunity.
Many in Abkhazia see the decision as significant: in effect, MPs — including those loyal to the government — sided with the opposition figure, going against the local authorities and, in a broader sense, against Russia.
In November 2025, Kan Kvarchia, along with several other opposition activists, exposed Russian political consultants who had been working illegally for pro-government candidates during municipal elections.
The consultants, in turn, filed a complaint with Russia’s Investigative Committee, which opened a criminal case against the Abkhaz opposition figures on charges of robbery.
Following this, Abkhaz law enforcement authorities were compelled to launch a similar case. Four opposition members have since been placed under house arrest, while two others have been banned from leaving the region.
Only Kan Kvarchia has so far avoided prosecution, as he holds parliamentary immunity — which prosecutors unsuccessfully sought to revoke.
Abkhaz bloggers and social media users have been offering their own interpretations of the события, analysing what it could mean and what consequences it may have.
Blogger Kirill Bazilevsky wrote: “The parliament’s decision can be viewed in different ways. One can debate the motives of MPs — whether driven by principle or expediency. But the fact remains: parliament made a decision that is unlikely to benefit the executive authorities and certainly did not please representatives of the strategic partner — namely, Russia.
One conclusion can be drawn. About a year remains until the parliamentary elections. And until then, it seems, fundamental, complex and socially sensitive issues will not be brought into the public arena.
That means the election campaign — and its outcome — will be very interesting to watch.”
The Telegram channel Abkhazsky Literny wrote: “Did Kan Kvarchia benefit from parliament’s decision? Definitely yes. At the very least, he has avoided criminal prosecution. But at the same time, he has lost the aura of a persecuted opposition figure who suffered for the truth — because, in the end, he did not suffer.
Did the prosecutor general’s office win? Also yes. Formally, it fully carried out its duties. MPs did not dismiss the charges themselves; they simply refused to lift immunity. In terms of the socio-political situation ahead of the summer season and in a pre-election year, this is, in principle, also not a bad outcome.
The parliament’s decision has effectively deprived any potential protest of both its foundation and its platform. Now, something else will have to be found.”
Blogger Naira Amalia said: “The question remains open: who hired the political consultants? There have been investigations by the prosecutor’s office, court proceedings and parliamentary hearings, but behind all the noise, those responsible for this whole spectacle remain hidden — the ones who forced all of us, in one way or another, to be part of it.
The only thing that matters in this story is that Abkhazia’s laws were violated — repeatedly. Those who commissioned this must be held accountable. But where are they?”
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Abkhazia’s parliament ‘protects’ opposition figure
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