Georgian Disease Control Centre amid protests: “agency full of corrupt, silenced people”

Georgia’s National Centre for Disease Control on Thursday reacted to ongoing protests in the country against the Government’s decision to delay the EU integration process, saying in its LinkedIn post that it was “full of corrupt, silenced people”.

The post also accused the management of remaining silent due to property allegedly donated by the billionaire and former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili.

“The National Center for Disease Control would like to inform you that we are full of corrupt, silenced people, the Georgian Dream ruling party supporters and police representatives. The management is also silent due to the property donated by Ivanishvili”, the post read.

The NCDC’s press office has not responded to calls or messages from local media, while the Ministry of Health has said it will issue a statement addressing the claims.

The NCDC oversees the Richard Lugar Public Health Research Center, known as the Lugar Lab, a facility often targeted by misinformation campaigns. Constructed with $150m in funding under the oversight of the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the lab has been operational since 2013.

While the facility initially relied on international funding, Georgia has fully financed its operations since 2018, with annual costs exceeding $500,000.