Georgia Opens Investigation into Alleged Sabotage and Foreign Interference

The Prosecutor General's Office of Georgia announced on Monday that it has launched an investigation into allegations of attempted sabotage and foreign interference in the country.

This follows a complaint filed by the domestic public movement United Neutral Georgia, The Caspian Post reports, citing Georgian media.

In an official statement, the Office said the investigation had been launched on Saturday into “attempted sabotage and assistance to a foreign organisation and an organisation under foreign control for hostile activities with the aim of violating the state interests of Georgia”.

The development comes as United Neutral Georgia, founded last year with a goal to advocate for the country’s status as a neutral state, has claimed that “both internal and external actors” have engaged in “coordinated actions threatening Georgia’s constitutional order and national security” “in recent years, and particularly over the recent months”, amid ongoing protests in the country against the Government's decision last year not to include European Union accession talks in its agenda until 2028.

The founders of the platform had previously called for “exposure” of what they described as a “spy network” operating within the country. They alleged Georgia had faced “persistent attacks from both external actors” and opposition figures “representing foreign interests” on the backdrop of the developments.

The Prosecutor’s Office case is being pursued under several articles of the domestic criminal code, and carries potential prison sentences ranging from five to 15 years.