The lawyer for Gulbaat Rtskhiladze, the head of the Eurasia Institute NGO who was detained on espionage charges, has stated that his client pleads not guilty.
Lasha Golubiani stated that Rtskhiladze was detained on May 29 on the basis of a court ruling, and that formal charges will be brought against him on May 31. He noted that, as a defense attorney, he had signed a non-disclosure agreement and could not disclose details of the case.
According to him, Rtskhiladze is accused of espionage in the interests of two countries, though he did not provide further details. Media reports suggest that the countries in question are Russia and Iran.
“This man was a public figure, held conferences, and hosted a program on the Obieqtivi TV channel. He spoke openly about his activities and had no access to classified information, so I do not understand how his actions can be considered espionage,” Golubiani said.
As a reminder, on May 30, the State Security Service of Georgia (SSG) announced at a briefing that counterintelligence officers had detained a Georgian citizen on espionage charges. According to the agency, he was linked to the intelligence services of two foreign states. Reports indicate that this refers to the pro-Russian political analyst and founder of the Eurasia Institute.