State Security Detains 6 for Supporting Terrorism
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Thursday, January 11
(TBILISI)--Georgia’s State Security Service (SSS) announced they have detained a Georgian citizen Zurab Idoidze for alleged terrorist links with the Islamic State terrorist Ahmed Chatayev.
The official statement released by SSS reads that the Georgian law enforcers, under the court ruling, detained Idoidze in the Akhmeta region, in the east of Georgia late on January 9.
Search activities have been carried out at Idoidze’s house in the village Omalo.
SSS reports in order to assist Chatayev and the members of his group in Khopa, Turkey, Idoidze travelled along with Zurab Gornakashvili, a suspect detained in the country’s Muslim-populated Pankisi Gorge on December 26.
“The detainee along with Gornakashvili took Chatayev and his group members from the temporary housing in Khopa to the Kirnati-Maradidi green border section of the Turkish-Georgian border by car,” SSS stated.
The Security Service claims the terrorists aimed at attacking diplomats in Georgia and Turkey.
The investigation is carried out with charges for financing, providing other material support and resources to terrorist activities that caused grave results.
If confirmed Idoidze and other detainees will face the 17 to 20 years or lifetime imprisonment.
Idoidze now uses the right of silence and does not admit the charges, his lawyer said.
Chatayev blew himself up in Tbilisi on November 22, in the course of the counterterrorism operation. His two allies were killed and one detained during the raid.
On December 26, Georgia’s State Security Service conducted an anti-terrorist raid in Pankisi, which resulted in the detention of four people and wounding one-Temirlan Machalikashvili.
The wounded young man, a 19-year-old Machalikashvili, died after being in a coma for about two weeks on January 10.
All the detainees and their families dismiss the links with terrorists.
