Director of the opposition-minded Mtavari-Arkhi TV channel Nika Gvaramia released a ‘script obtained from the country’s State Security Service’ yesterday which ‘confirms the agency is making illegal recordings of politicians, members of NGOs, foreign diplomats, as well as members of the ruling party.’
Nika Gvaramia, founder and CEO of the Mtavari Channel, exposes the devious actions of the SSG who was illegally obtaining private information on citizens and was delivering it to Bidzina Ivanishvili
— Mtavari TV (@MtavariChannel) August 1, 2021
More: https://t.co/HNsdLlw15b pic.twitter.com/UsBynRhDei
The Georgian State Security Service says that the 'misinformation serves to deliberately discredit the State Security Service, mislead the public and incite distrust in state institutions.'
The agency states that specific media outlets 'are using all levers' to achieve their own 'political goals' and to make the society more polarised.
Unfortunately, certain members of civil society and political parties, willingly or unwillingly, become participants in this provocative and damaging disinformation campaign," said the State Security Service, adding that the agency acts 'in full compliance with the state constitution and the law.'
Ruling party members have responded ‘that the script is no evidence, everyone can make it’, adding that Gvaramia ‘continues telling fairy tales.’
Gvaramia claims that the State Security Service is collecting the illegal data for the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, the ‘informer ruler of the country’ Bidzina Ivanishvili.
The CEO and Founder of "Mtavari Channel" Nika Gvaramia addresses "Georgian Dream", warning that blame for any leaked information on private citizens will be upon "Dream's" shoulders
— Mtavari TV (@MtavariChannel) August 1, 2021
More: https://t.co/SXt7PEMmik pic.twitter.com/XSryLcOeRB
A member of NGO Social Justice Centre Guro Inmadze posted on Facebook that he recognized his conversation in the scripts provided by Gvaramia.
Imnadze said that the scripts revealed the ‘total control which we (the country citizens, NGOs) aimed to destroy back in 2012.’
Archil Talakvadze, one of the leaders of the Georgian Dream, called the information spread by the CEO of the Mtavari Channel, Nika Gvaramia, fake news
— Mtavari TV (@MtavariChannel) August 2, 2021
More: https://t.co/KygdFiFztw pic.twitter.com/WWZanWkJsm
Journalist of the opposition-minded Formula TV Nino Gelashvili and investigative journalist of RFE/RL Giorgi Mgeladze also ‘found themselves in the scripts.’
The illegal surveillance scandal was one of several reasons cited by experts which led to the defeat of the United National Movement back in 2012 by the Georgian Dream coalition.