Russia’s attempt to sway Armenia’s parliamentary elections mixes economic coercion, covert financing and a convenient billionaire
Day: May 30, 2026
The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) announced on May 30 the arrest of another Georgian citizen, later identified as Irakli Chikhladze, on allegations of spying for a foreign country’s intelligence service, marking the second such arrest in a single day.
While the agency had not immediately disclosed the individual’s identity, pro-government Rustavi 2 said the SSSG confirmed that he was Irakli Chikhladze, identified by the channel as the “founder and head of the Caucasian Center for Civil Hearings.” The country allegedly involved has not been named.
The suspect “systematically obtained and transmitted intelligence-related information” to foreign intelligence services in line with their interests “through personal contacts in journalistic, expert, and other professional circles,” Lasha Maghradze, the First Deputy Head of the SSSG, said at a May 30 afternoon briefing.
The briefing came hours after Maghradze announced the arrest of a “founder and head of one of the non-governmental organizations,” later identified as Gulbaat Rtskhiladze, a pro-Russian figure, on suspicion of spying for the intelligence services of two countries. The foreign countries allegedly involved had not been named in Rtskhiladze’s case either.
Regarding the new arrest, Maghradze said, “The detainee had highly organized, conspiratorial, and systematic contacts with a representative of a foreign intelligence service. Meetings were arranged using encrypted two-way communication and were held at various locations under strict adherence to pre-agreed conspiracy [security] protocols. The transfer of information was carried out both through face-to-face contact and electronic means, using various encryption methods.”
He added that the transmitted intelligence-related information concerned “political and economic processes in Georgia and the region, including neighboring countries, as well as the situation within law enforcement agencies and security structures.”
Maghradze emphasized that the detainee acted “under the cover of an online platform,” saying he was “managing an intelligence network composed of various individuals, coordinating their activities, and ensuring the collection and transmission of obtained information.” He added that the detainee also “distributed funds received from the intelligence services among members of the network, issued relevant instructions, and monitored the execution process.”
The SSSG official further said that “on the instructions and with the funding of a foreign intelligence service representative, the detainee periodically traveled to other countries and, through existing contacts there, obtained intelligence-related information in line with the interests of the foreign intelligence service.”
The investigation is ongoing under Article 314 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which concerns “espionage” and is punishable by eight to twelve years’ imprisonment.
The announcements follow several similar cases in recent weeks.
On April 22, the SSSG said it arrested a Georgian man later identified as a resident of occupied Akhalgori, Tamaz Goloev, who, according to pro-government media and official allusions, allegedly spied for Russian intelligence.
On May 5, the SSSG announced the arrest of an official, Giorgi Udzilauri, who, according to the agency, spied for “one of the European countries,” without naming it. Udzilauri had previously worked for Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Cartu Group.
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