MEP von Cramon condemns Georgian “dirty regime’s” raid on Atlantic Council employees ahead of elections

MEP Viola von Cramon on Thursday denounced recent law enforcement raids on the homes of two Atlantic Council researchers in Tbilisi, describing the move as “intimidation” and comparing Georgian government actions to KGB tactics, as tensions rise ahead of the country’s general elections on Saturday.

The criticism from von Cramon followed a “broader investigation” by Georgian authorities into alleged fraudulent schemes and money laundering involving “so-called call centers” in Tbilisi. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze suggested the results of the investigation could “turn out interesting to the public,” while the Ministry of Finance’s Investigative Service confirmed searches had been conducted at several locations in the capital.

Though the official statement did not disclose specific names, media reports revealed that the homes of Sopo Gelava and Eto Buziashvili, researchers affiliated with the US-based Atlantic Council, were among the sites searched.

Von Cramon called the raids a “new level of intimidation and repression against researchers in Georgia ahead of the elections,” drawing parallels between the actions of Georgian authorities and the tactics used by Russia’s KGB and FSB.