Vice PM Mdinaradze praises counter-intelligence operation, defends new hate speech unit

Vice Prime Minister and State Minister for Coordination of Law Enforcement Agencies Mamuka Mdinaradze has praised Georgia's State Security Service for what he described as a successful counter-intelligence operation that led to the arrest of several individuals on espionage-related charges.

Speaking at a briefing in the government administration on Monday, Mdinaradze thanked the State Security Service and its Counter-Intelligence Department for carrying out what he called a highly complex operation.

According to Mdinaradze, one of the suspects is accused of gathering intelligence on behalf of two foreign states, while another is alleged to have coordinated a spy network by distributing tasks and payments to its members. He said prosecutors also accuse the second suspect of acting as a local representative of a foreign intelligence service.

Mdinaradze argued that uncovering and dismantling espionage networks is among the most challenging tasks faced by security agencies and said the operation demonstrated the capabilities of Georgia's intelligence and law enforcement institutions.

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He said the unit's primary goal would be prevention, arguing that political polarisation and public hostility have damaged both the political environment and interpersonal relations in Georgia.

Mdinaradze added the new body is intended to address behaviour that infringes on the rights, dignity and reputation of others. He acknowledged that the unit would not eliminate the problem immediately but said it represented the first practical step towards tackling hate speech and what he described as increasingly aggressive forms of public insult.

Mdinaradze also claimed that similar approaches had been adopted successfully in several European countries and said the initiative would serve a number of broader public interests.