Gulbaat Rtskhiladze links his detention to the “Russophobia Monitoring Council”
The lawyer for Gulbaat Rtskhiladze, who was detained on espionage charges, stated that his client links his criminal prosecution to the establishment of the recently created so-called “Russophobia Monitoring Council.”
According to Lasha Golubiani, following the indictment, Rtskhiladze does not plead guilty and calls the case politically motivated. He claims that his activities were aimed at “normalizing relations between Georgia and Russia and preventing escalation.”
“He categorically denies the charges and considers himself innocent. He himself links his detention to the fact that he created the Russophobia Monitoring Council,” Golubiani stated.
The lawyer also reported that the case files consist of approximately 11–12 volumes, but they contain no direct evidence of espionage.
“There is neither direct nor circumstantial evidence confirming espionage. There are materials, including operational data and documents, but the question is whether this is sufficient for a conviction—this is for the court to assess,” he noted.
Lasha Golubiani said that Rtskhiladze intends to address the court personally. The lawyer added that the defense would petition either for release without any restrictive measures or for bail.
Commenting on the potential countries in whose interests the accused might have been acting, according to investigators, Golubiani stated that it could involve two countries, but there is no confirmation of this at this stage (media outlets suggest these are the Russian Federation and Iran — Editor’s note).
The lawyer also reported that Rtskhiladze had previously planned a trip to Iran but cancelled it due to family circumstances.
As a reminder, the head of the “Eurasia Institute” NGO, Gulbaat Rtskhiladze, was detained by the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) on May 30. According to the agency, he is suspected of cooperating with the intelligence services of two foreign states and conducting parallel intelligence activities.
