The Defense and Security, the Legal Issues, and the Human Rights and Civil Integration Committees heard the Report by the State Security Service for 2019.

The report was introduced by the Deputy Head of the SSS, Alexander Khojevanishvili.

“The report reflects the challenges and the threats existent in 2019, and reflects the responses by the Security Service to these threats and challenges.

The population well envisioned the effect of the timely intervention of the state against the pandemic. We also demonstrated the immense value of the laboratory and diagnostic means in the country. In this situation, our Service in 24/7 mode is engaged in the state efforts in countering the pandemic and restricting its impact on the security environment.

The occupied territories and the deriving threats are still remaining the lingering and acute problem. “In 2019, Russian occupants have held up to 100 military trainings in occupied Tskhinvali and Abkhazia. The occupation forces kept illicit bordering process and detentions of Georgian citizens. The State Security Service has detected 27 illicit detentions in Abkhazian direction and 86 in Tskhinvali region. The increasing militarization of the occupied territories, ethnic discrimination of Georgians, restriction of fundamental right of movement and the deliberate isolation of the occupied territories remain as the key challenge.

The destructive consequences of the illicit borderization are evidenced with the developments in the village Chorchana, Khashuri municipality, where the occupation forces deployed the heavy military machinery, mobilized the illegal armed formations, erected the installments and other provocative actions. Russian Federation kept the use of the political spectrum of the occupied regions for own goals.

Acute problem of discrimination of ethnic Georgian population in the occupied regions, including restriction of their right on education in the native language, coercion on change of the ethnic identity and facilitation of assimilation, restriction of their property rights etc.

The Security Service possess the information on the illegal processes on the occupied territories and has been identifying the persons engaged in these processes. We have been engaging the international format to detect these illegal actions, including discrimination of ethnic Georgians”, - said Khojevanishvili.

He also dwelt on June 20 events and further developments, which were painful for the security. “Disobedience to the law-enforcement agencies and the attempts to establish it as a norm create the challenges for the state. Besides, such activities may be used by the special services of other countries for intensification of a graver processes”.

As a result of the Security Service and other respective agencies, the terrorism threats are minimized. “The facts of participation of Georgian citizens in the military actions in the Near East have not been revealed. It is as well noteworthy that the remedies undertaken in 2019, including detention of the supporters of terrorism played its crucial role in formation of the situation under control in this country”.

The reporter dwelt on the investigations held by the Anti-Corruption Agency: “Within the countering corruption, the Security Service started the investigation on 91 criminal cases and brought 135 persons to criminal responsibility, including for bribery, official negligence, fraud, illegal activity etc. None of the public servants have been detained”.

Khojevanishvili also spoke about the hybrid war, counter-intelligence activity, international cooperation, economic security, cyber-attacks, inter-agency coordination etc.