State Security Service: five detained on terrorism charges in Pankisi were members of IS
Five individuals were detained in Georgia’s eastern Pankisi gorge on terrorism charges at about 5 a.m. today. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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The Georgian State Security Service (SSS) says that five individuals who were arrested in Georgia’s Muslim-populated Pankisi gorge earlier today were members of terrorist organisation Islamic State (IS) and had plans to leave for Syria.
The agency said that one of the five detainees was the leader of the group and was ‘open to saying’ he was a member of IS.
The detainees systematically wore the symbols of IS,” said the agency.
The family members of the detainees have told journalists that the individuals ‘had nothing to do with terrorists.’
A local in Pankisi, Malkhaz Machalikashvili, whose 19-year-old son Temirlan Machalikashvili was killed in a counter-terrorism operation back in 2017, says that the arrest is connected with the October 2 municipal elections.
Such arrests are usual ahead of elections and are a part of a PR campaign,” Machalikashvili told RFE/RL.
Machalikashvili says that his son was innocent and was killed mistakenly in the ‘poorly planned’ operation.
Five individuals have been arrested in Georgia’s Muslim-populated Pankisi gorge, in the eastern Kakheti region of Georgia, on terrorism charges earlier today, the Georgian State Security Service has confirmed.
The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office has ended its investigation into the high profile Temirlan Machalikashvili case, that of a 19-year-old terrorist suspect who received a fatal injury during an anti-terrorist raid in Georgia’s Muslim-populated Pankisi Gorge back in 2017. The Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson stated at a special briefing earlier today that they uncovered ‘no abuse of authority’ in the case.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has launched a discussion on the high profile case of terrorism suspect Temirlan Machalikashvili, who received a fatal injury during an anti-terrorist raid in Georgia’s Muslim-populated Pankisi Gorge back in 2017.
Father of deceased terror suspect Temirlan Machalikashvili, Malkhaz Machalikashvili, does not deny that he may have had a conversation with his relative regarding a terror attack on former deputy head of Georgia’s State Security Service Ioseb Gogashvili, as “he had such thoughts during a time of much anger.”
The United National Movement (UNM), European Georgia, Droa and Girchi - More Freedom opposition parties will nominate Malkhaz Machalikashvili, the father of a terrorism suspect killed during a police raid back in 2017, for their joint majoritarian candidate for the Duisi election constituency in eastern Kakheti region in the October 2 municipal race.
The US Department of State Country Report on Terrorism 2020 says that ‘Georgia is generally capable of detecting, deterring, and responding to terrorism incidents.’ The report says that ‘Georgia continued its robust engagement across a range of counterterrorism issues in 2020,’ noting that no terrorist incidents took place in the country in 2020.
The Government of Georgia will approve the National Counterterrorism Strategy and Action Plan on Monday, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced at today’s government meeting.
Five citizens of Georgia were arrested in 2021 for membership in terrorist organisations, the State Security Service said in its annual report that was released on Monday.Five citizens of Georgia were arrested in 2021 for membership in terrorist organisations, the State Security Service said in its annual report that was released on Monday.
The Tbilisi City Court has found five Georgian citizens guilty of an attempt to join the Islamic State terrorist organisation in Syria and support of its activities, the Court announced on Tuesday.
The Georgian State Security Service on Thursday announced the arrest of a member of the Islamic State terrorist organisation at Tbilisi International Airport by its Counter-Terrorism Centre.