Georgia’s State Security Service said it arrested two Georgian citizens on espionage-related charges within a single day, in a coordinated operation that has drawn attention to foreign-influence and NGO activity in Tbilisi.
According to the agency, one detainee is Gulbaat Rtskhiladze, identified in public reporting as head of a Kremlin-linked non-government organisation. He is accused of spying for two foreign countries and of gathering and passing intelligence to foreign services. The second detainee is Irakli Chikhladze, described as the founder of another organisation, with similar allegations of collecting and forwarding information to foreign intelligence bodies.
What authorities have said
Official statements frame both cases under Article 314 of Georgia’s criminal code, which covers espionage and related offences. Investigators said inquiries are continuing and that further details would be released as permitted by law. Neither man has been tried in court at the time of the announcements; under Georgian procedure, charges reported at arrest stage remain allegations until a verdict.
The State Security Service has not published the full operational timeline or every document seized in searches. Local outlets have shown images from what appear to be law-enforcement visits to premises linked to the suspects, with faces obscured in published photographs.
Context for residents and expats
Arrests under Article 314 are relatively rare in public reporting but carry serious penalties if convictions follow. The cases come amid long-running debate in Georgia over foreign funding of NGOs, ties to Russia after the 2002 invasion of Ukraine, and how security agencies monitor influence operations.
Foreign residents are not targeted by these specific detentions, but the story illustrates that espionage statutes are actively enforced. Anyone following developments should rely on official court filings and agency releases rather than unverified social media claims.
Investigations continue. Residents and international observers should watch for updates from the State Security Service and the courts as pre-trial proceedings move forward.
