The News in Brief

Former Security Official Arrested for 'Taking Out' Classified State Secrets

The State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) announced on April 25 the arrest of a former employee, currently serving in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, on charges of "taking out classified information" from the agency. While the SSSG confirmed the arrest, the official statement did not clarify whether the sensitive data had been leaked or disclosed to any third party.

The arrest was the result of a joint operation between the general inspectorates of the SSSG and the Interior Ministry. The suspect is being investigated under Article 321 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which addresses the "breach of the procedure for keeping state secrets." If convicted, the individual faces a prison sentence of up to six years, depending on the severity of the breach.

In a stern warning regarding internal security, the SSSG stated that it "will always be particularly strict and uncompromising toward taking out any internal information, even on a minor scale, and any person who commits such an act will face the strictest punishment." The investigation into the scope and intent of the document removal remains ongoing.



Prosecutor's Office Dismisses TV Pirveli Report on Case Prosecutor as 'Disinformation'

Georgia's Prosecutor's Office has rejected a report by TV Pirveli concerning prosecutor Tamar Bezhuashvili, who is handling the criminal case related to the alleged storming of the Presidential Palace during anti-government protests, calling it "yet another piece of disinformation."

In a statement, the agency said the broadcaster had, for the second time in recent weeks, aired material about the business activities of Bezhuashvili's father and "groundlessly linked it" to her professional role.

"It should also be noted that respondents featured in the report, such as Giorgi Berishvili and Teimuraz Karmazanashvili, who make defamatory statements against Bejuashvili and her family, are themselves convicted or accused in various criminal cases involving tax evasion and fraud against the state," the statement said. "It is entirely unclear how this relates to the criminal case concerning the storming of the Presidential Palace."

The Prosecutor's Office accused the channel of attempting to discredit the case rather than addressing it through legal proceedings. "Instead of conducting a qualified and adversarial review of the case in court, the media outlet is deliberately attacking the case prosecutor and engaging in an unfounded disinformation campaign," it said.

The agency added that it "will not allow such attacks on prosecutors in high-profile criminal cases" and would respond accordingly. "Such baseless and targeted campaigns will not influence and will not hinder the administration of objective justice," the statement said.