Diplomatic corps in Georgia ‘gravely concerned’ over alleged leaked files from State Security Service
The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into the case on September 14 day after the files were surfaced. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Foreign diplomats and ambassadors in Georgia have raised ‘grave concerns’ over the alleged leaked files on clerics, politicians, journalists and foreign diplomats after the meeting with Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani earlier today.
Reported recent wiretapping by security authorities constitutes a serious breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and compromises normal diplomatic work in Georgia,” the statement of the diplomatic corps accredited in Georgia reads.
Letter from diplomatic corps concerning alleged wiretapping. pic.twitter.com/k9njwh5lo5
— U.S. Embassy Tbilisi (@usingeo) October 4, 2021
Various Georgian media outlets received links to thousands of files titled ‘Georgian State Security Sevice’s compromising materials against Patriarchate’ from an unidentified sender which contained the data obtained via possible illegal surveillance allegedly by the country’s State Security Service (SSS).
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has met with EU Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell, US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan and Japanese Ambassador Imamura Akira today where they discussed the issue of alleged illegal surveillance on foreign diplomats.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry has reported that Zalkaliani ‘reaffirmed the government’s interest to establish the truth’ about the case.
The diplomats were provided with information on the investigative actions carried out by the Prosecutor's Office of Georgia which includes establishing the authenticity of the materials disseminated by the media, their origin, etc.,” the ministry stated.
Ambassador of Norway to Georgia Helene Sand Andresen has tweeted:
A representative group of ambassadors of the diplomatic corps accredited in Georgia met with H.E.@DZalkaliani Grave concerns raised on reported recent wiretapping by security authorities which constitutes serious breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961.
— Helene Sand Andresen (@SandAndresen) October 4, 2021
The Georgian side at the meeting has reaffirmed the ‘country’s commitment to the principles of international obligations’ including the Vienna Convention.
For his part, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia [Zalkaliani] reaffirmed his respect for the diplomatic corps accredited in Georgia,” the Foreign Ministry of Georgia reports.
The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into the case on September 14 day after the files were surfaced.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili stated yesterday that the investigation into the case of alleged leaked files ‘is moving forward really fast,’ noting that the files are fabricated.