"Gift" for the elections. Georgian intelligence services wiretapped US and EU ambassadors

The never-ending long-suffering film series called “Georgia – the land of paradoxes” continues in all its glory. This time, the troublemaker was the message that the State Security Service (SSS) of Georgia illegally wiretapped the conversations of politicians, clergy, foreign diplomats, journalists, etc. The media had more than 60 thousand audio and video files at their disposal.

Who leaked?

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Version No. 1. The heads of the opposition television channels Mtavari Arkhi, TV Formula, and TV Pirveli simultaneously received from an unknown source with an IP address in California a link to a website containing materials on the operational activities of the State Security Service (SSG) of Georgia.

Version 2 : The secret information was leaked to Georgian media by former State Security Service employee Akaki Nemsadze. It should be noted that he committed suicide on July 8, and before his death, he sent files to the email addresses of the aforementioned television channels.

_{Many questions arise. If a certain Akaki Nemsadze sent out files about illegal wiretapping back in July, then why did they become known only in September - a couple of weeks before the elections to local government bodies in Georgia? Election stunt? Why did the Georgian authorities not make an official request to the American authorities to establish the identity of the “unknown source with an IP address in California”?}

Journalists reported that the State Security Service of Georgia secretly wiretapped and recorded conversations of employees of the US Embassy, ​​EU Ambassador to Georgia Karl Hartzel, US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan, head of the media communications department of the US Embassy, ​​head of the embassy's public relations department, assistant to the ambassador Kelly Degnan.

US Ambassador Kelly Degnan

In addition, according to media reports, assistants to the ambassador of Germany, Azerbaijan, and Israel, his assistants and his personal secretary were monitored. At the same time, according to media representatives, the volume of files is enormous, and the Georgian public will gradually learn about the details of the transcripts.

EU response

Of course, the topic of illegal wiretaps caused outrage in the European Parliament itself.

“We are aware of information in the Georgian media about telephone conversations between our ambassador and staff of the EU mission, which were recorded and have now been made public. This is a very serious matter.

We are taking appropriate steps in this context, as we would in a similar situation, but given the nature of the alleged incident, we cannot say more at this time,” said Assistant High Commissioner for Foreign Policy Peter Stano.

He is echoed by MEP Marina Kaljurand , head of the Georgia-EU Association Committee :

“I don’t want to speculate on the authenticity of these recordings, but I want to clearly state: espionage and wiretapping of diplomats, the opposition, clergy, and the ruling party is undemocratic.

I really hope that the relevant structures in the Georgian government will analyze this case very carefully, find the people who spied, and appropriate measures will be taken. There is no place for espionage in a democracy."

Marina Kaljurand

_{Today it is no secret that the scandal with the “total wiretapping” of foreign diplomats, journalists, and clergy reduces the chances of overcoming the barrier of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the elections, and can also lead to a crisis in foreign policy.}

“Eavesdropping on diplomats is a flagrant violation of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The pre-election actions of the Georgian authorities also give rise to mistrust of them on the part of Western countries,” said expert Vakhtang Maisaya.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili himself called what was happening “a dirty, pre-planned provocation by Saakashvili and his associates using half-truths and handy media.” At the same time, according to him, the team of former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who defected to the opposition, was involved in the leak of materials from the State Security Service.

Yes, of course, there is some truth in his words. The opposition “United National Movement” is resorting to any methods to take power into its own hands. But, fortunately, today the Georgian prime minister is endowed with full power to instruct the heads of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Security Service to carry out comprehensive measures in the case of illegal drying, and not to pour from empty to empty, blaming the UNM for everything. Words and demagoguery cannot resolve the situation here.

_{This whole paradox gives rise to many thoughts. Among the 60 thousand files, there is not a single one that talks about Turkish after, Turkish businessmen or Turkish citizens who are slowly and gradually populating the Georgian region of Adjara. Did you miss it, overlook it, or were you afraid of a shout from Ankara? The latter seems more logical!}