Georgia’s State Security Service Accuses Opposition of Preparing a Coup D’etat

A violent change of authorities planned in Georgia with the coordination and financial support of foreign countries, using a scenario similar to Ukraine’s Euromaidan, the Georgian State Security Service has said today. “A group of individuals is planning to destabilize the situation in Georgia in October-December and organize revolts to overthrow the authorities by violent means”, the State Security Service (SSS) claimed. According to its version, the organizers of the plot are the former head of the Georgian Interior Ministry Vano Merabishvili, his deputy and current deputy military counterintelligence officer of Ukraine Giyu Lortkipanidze, former security guard of Georgian ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili Mikhail Baturin, as well as the commander of the Georgian Legion Mamuka Mamulashvili, who is fighting in Ukraine. The SSS claimed that the organizers have chosen this time period because the European Commission (EC) is due to make a decision on granting Georgia candidate status for European Union (EU) membership in autumn. According to the State Security Service, the criminals expect that the EC’s decision will be negative, which will serve as a pretext to accuse the authorities of pursuing Russian interests. “The plotters intend to carry out their plan with the help of foreign financial support and a large group of young Georgian people fighting in Ukraine and listed in the organizations Kanvas and Otpor. These organizations took an active part in the so-called ‘revolutionary’ processes in Serbia and other countries,” the SSS statement said. According to the intelligence service, several scenarios of destabilization in Georgia are being developed. They include creation of a tent city in the center of Tbilisi, installation of barricades, picketing and seizure of government buildings. It is also claimed that the organizers are ready to kill one of its participants at the protest in order to put the blame on the police. “In order to neutralize these risks, the State Security Service is implementing and will continue to implement all necessary preventive measures in cooperation with other competent bodies,” the SSS said, adding that it would also address “the relevant agencies of partner countries” on this issue.