Former Security Official Arrested for Classified Data Breach as Prosecutor’s Office Battles Media Claims

A former employee of Georgia’s State Security Service (SSSG) now working for the Ministry of Internal Affairs has been arrested on charges of removing classified information from the security agency, officials announced on April 25. The arrest came following a joint operation between the general inspectorates of both government bodies.

The SSSG’s official statement confirmed the arrest but did not specify whether the classified information had been disclosed to third parties or what the suspect’s motivations might have been. The investigation is proceeding under Article 321 of the Georgian Criminal Code, which addresses breaches of state secrecy protocols. If found guilty, the suspect could face up to six years in prison.

“The SSSG will always be particularly strict and uncompromising toward taking out any internal information, even on a minor scale,” the agency warned in its statement, emphasizing that anyone committing such acts “will face the strictest punishment.” The stern language underscores the Georgian government’s increasing focus on internal security amid growing regional tensions and concerns about information security.

The case highlights ongoing concerns about information security within Georgia’s security apparatus. Intelligence community experts note that insider threats remain one of the most challenging security problems for government agencies worldwide, with former employees often retaining both institutional knowledge and connections that can facilitate breaches.

In an unrelated but equally contentious development, Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office has strongly denounced a report by TV Pirveli regarding prosecutor Tamar Bezhuashvili as “yet another piece of disinformation.” Bezhuashvili is currently handling a high-profile criminal case related to alleged attempts to storm the Presidential Palace during anti-government protests.

The Prosecutor’s Office claims the broadcaster has twice aired reports about business activities of Bezhuashvili’s father, suggesting improper connections to her professional work without substantive evidence. The agency specifically noted that individuals featured in the report making accusations against Bezhuashvili and her family—including Giorgi Berishvili and Teimuraz Karmazanashvili—are themselves either convicted criminals or currently facing charges for tax evasion and fraud.

“It is entirely unclear how this relates to the criminal case concerning the storming of the Presidential Palace,” the statement read, suggesting the report represents an attempt to undermine the prosecution’s case through character assassination rather than legal arguments.

The Prosecutor’s Office further accused TV Pirveli of attempting to circumvent proper legal channels: “Instead of conducting a qualified and adversarial review of the case in court, the media outlet is deliberately attacking the case prosecutor and engaging in an unfounded disinformation campaign.”

The agency concluded with a firm warning that such “baseless and targeted campaigns will not influence and will not hinder the administration of objective justice,” adding that it would “not allow such attacks on prosecutors in high-profile criminal cases.”

These developments unfold against a backdrop of heightened political tensions in Georgia, where relations between government institutions and certain media outlets have grown increasingly strained. Press freedom advocates have expressed concerns about the intimidating tone of some government communications regarding media coverage, while officials maintain they are simply defending the integrity of legal processes.

The convergence of these two cases—one involving national security breaches and the other centering on media representations of the judicial system—highlights the complex interplay between security concerns, judicial independence, and press freedom that continues to shape Georgia’s evolving democratic landscape.