In Georgia, searches were conducted on employees of the American think tank Atlantic Council Sofa Gelava and Eto Buziashvili. As reported by the Georgian service of 'Radio Liberty'**, the search was conducted by the financial police in a case of 'money laundering', 'fraud', and 'tax evasion'.
Buziashvili's lawyer reported that only a general search warrant was issued, and who is accused in the case is still unknown.
'They arrived around 8 am. They did not inform me that they were from the financial police; instead, they introduced themselves as the gas inspection service and said there was a leak. About six people burst in and immediately began the search. They took my phone and did not allow me to contact a lawyer. They were particularly interested in documentation and technology, that was their motive. The search lasted about two hours. I was summoned for questioning. The only thing they were interested in was my place of work, Atlantic Council, an American non-governmental organization. We conduct in-depth investigations into Russian intelligence operations,' Eto told 'Radio Liberty'.
Sofa Gelava's husband reported that all equipment, including his and the child's laptops, was seized from the house.
According to the lawyers, a criminal case has been initiated under three articles: money laundering, fraud, tax evasion. Who is accused in this case is still unknown.
As local media write, both women are staunch critics of the 'Georgian Dream' government and have published numerous research reports on Russian disinformation and influence operations in Georgia.
Atlantic Council is an American think tank founded in 1961 under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It serves as a forum for political, business, and intellectual international leaders. The Council manages ten regional centers and functional programs related to international security and the global economy. The headquarters is located in Washington.
On the eve, Czech journalist Ray Baisley was denied entry into Georgia, who this year covered protests in the country against the 'foreign agents' law. 'After 34 hours of illegal detention at Tbilisi airport without any contact with the outside world, I am safe at Warsaw airport,' Baisley wrote on the morning of October 24.
The journalist arrived in Tbilisi on October 22 as a freelance correspondent for Kyiv Independent to cover the parliamentary elections that will take place in Georgia this weekend.
* Recognized as an 'undesirable' organization in Russia.
** Recognized as a 'foreign agent' and 'undesirable' organization in Russia.