Georgia’s State Security announces “planned unrest” funded from abroad if EU rejects Tbilisi’s candidacy

The Georgian State Security Service on Monday claimed “radical forces” inside and outside the country had plans to spark unrest in the country in October-December to “overthrow” the current Government if the European Union rejected its candidacy for Georgia later this year, saying the “destabilization” would be funded from abroad. 

 

A senior official of the agency has identified several individuals behind the alleged scheme, including the former Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia Vano Merabishvili, the Deputy Head of the Military Intelligence of Ukraine, Giorgi Lortkipanidze and individuals of Georgian origin under him, the former bodyguard of ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, Mikheil Baturin, and Mamuka Mamulashvili, the current commander of the Georgian legion in Ukraine. 

 

“The expectation of the conspirators preparing to overthrow the Government is based on their hopes that the European Commission’s report on Georgia’s implementation of the EU candidacy conditions in October will be negative”, the agency said, adding the alleged conspirators were discussing the events similar to Euro Maidan. 

 

“It should be emphasized that the implementation of the mentioned plan is funded from foreign countries”, it noted. 

 

The agency also claimed the plans included the presence of casualties and “bloody” confrontation between demonstrators and the law enforcement. 

 

The European Council has been scheduled to decide on Georgia’s EU candidacy in December, based on the recommendations of the European Commission in October.