Georgia’s State Security Service probes authors of studies on Iran’s influence
Georgia’s Security Service probes authors of Iran study
Two new studies on Iran’s potential “soft power” influence on Georgia’s political and social landscape have sparked heated public debate – and more.
According to the Georgian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the country’s State Security Service (SSG) has also taken interest and launched an investigation. Leaders of the ruling Georgian Dream party have likewise issued critical statements.
Political commentators Tina Khidasheli and Giorgi Kandelaki are currently under investigation. Khidasheli is being investigated over comments made on independent TV channels, while Kandelaki is under scrutiny as a co-author of a study by the Hudson Institute.
Giorgi Kandelaki was an active participant in the Rose Revolution in 2003, which brought Mikheil Saakashvili to power. Kandelaki was a member of the United National Movement, the ruling party in Georgia until 2012. He currently heads SovLab, a project studying the Soviet past.
Tina Khidasheli is a former member of parliament from the Georgian Dream party (2012–2015) and a former Minister of Defense of Georgia (2015–2016).
What the Hudson Institute study says
On March 3, a study by the Hudson Institute was published, co-authored by Georgian political analyst Giorgi Kandelaki and Hudson Institute senior fellow Luke Coffey.
The authors conclude that Iran is systematically expanding its influence infrastructure in Georgia and encouraging parts of the population to become involved in its political, economic, and educational networks.
According to the report, this poses a threat not only to Georgia itself but also to the interests of the United States and Western countries in the wider South Caucasus region.
Among other things, the study examines the activities in Georgia of the Al-Mustafa International University, which is under sanctions by the United States and Canada for alleged espionage activities and the promotion of extremism.
What Tina Khidasheli said
On March 4, in an interview with the independent Georgian TV channel TV Pirveli, Tina Khidasheli spoke, among other things, about Al-Mustafa University.
“Everyone should understand that this is not a university — it is a school for terrorists, where people are raised with slogans such as ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to Israel,’” Khidasheli said.
In addition, a publication by the research center Civil Idea, founded by Khidasheli, states that between 2022 and 2025 up to 72 companies registered in Georgia imported Iranian oil and petroleum products.
“While the ayatollah regime continues to brutally suppress protests in Iran, … Georgian Dream expresses diplomatic support for the authoritarian regime through public symbolic steps,” the report says.
After the publication of the two studies and amid heated debate in Georgian media and social networks, the U.S. publication The Hill published an article claiming that Georgia could become a hub for circumventing sanctions against Iran. The author also cites Tina Khidasheli.
Accusations against the researchers
After the study was published, leaders of Georgian Dream sharply criticized the researchers.
Kakha Kaladze, the mayor of Tbilisi, called them “traitors,” accusing them of acting against Georgia’s national interests and demanding an investigation into their activities.
He was supported by Deputy Speaker of Parliament Gia Volski and MP Archil Gorduladze.
Tina Khidasheli responded to the accusations by suggesting that those “who are concerned about the fate of the country and its future should focus on the real problem, rather than on whose statements they like and whose they do not.”
Comment from the State Security Service
Georgia’s State Security Service of Georgia confirmed to the Georgian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that an investigation has been launched regarding the two studies mentioned.
The agency said it intends to determine the sources of the information and the motives of the authors, “which is particularly important against the backdrop of ongoing hostilities in the region.”
According to the press service, the investigation also concerns the studies’ claims about possible attempts by Iran to recruit residents of Georgia, as well as “any signals that may pose a threat to the country.”
“The authors of the statements will be questioned on all aspects of their claims,” the statement said.
At the same time, the agency noted that “none of them has ever submitted the relevant information to law enforcement authorities.”
The SSSG press center added that more detailed information cannot be provided because the case “concerns Georgia’s national security interests.”
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