Georgia’s State Security Service Chief presents 2024 annual report

Chief of Georgia’s State Security Service (SSS), Anri Okhanashvili, presented the agency’s 2024 annual report to Parliament, outlining key national security threats, hybrid warfare tactics, and foreign interference targeting Georgia’s political and economic landscape.

Addressing MPs at a plenary session, Okhanashvili emphasized that the SSS operated in a “challenging geopolitical environment” shaped by global armed conflicts and regional instability. He noted that recent military escalations further complicated Georgia’s security context.

“Georgia’s top national security priority is peace and regional stability—especially as 20% of its territory remains under occupation,” Okhanashvili stated. He stressed the need for strong inter-agency coordination and international cooperation with neighboring countries to address mounting challenges.

Okhanashvili reported that Russian occupying forces continued illegal activities in Georgia’s breakaway regions, including large-scale military drills and other destabilizing operations. The SSS, he said, remained actively engaged in efforts to free Georgian citizens unlawfully detained by occupying forces.

The report highlighted that foreign intelligence services, in coordination with both domestic and foreign actors, used hybrid tactics to disrupt Georgia’s internal affairs. These included disinformation campaigns, funding political protests, and allegedly attempting to destabilize the government before and after the 2024 parliamentary elections.

Okhanashvili claimed that some political and NGO leaders received foreign funding to orchestrate protests aimed at creating a “Maidan-like” scenario in Georgia.

“Through coordinated operational and preventive measures, we managed to neutralize these destructive activities and preserve internal stability,” he said.

In 2024, the SSS did not register any structured terrorist groups operating in the country, crediting its ongoing counterterrorism efforts for maintaining a secure environment. Okhanashvili also stated that anti-corruption activities intensified, with measures targeting vulnerable sectors and identifying public officials at risk of engaging in corrupt practices.

“Our democracy faces daily attacks—through disinformation, threats, and manipulation—but the State Security Service stands firmly in defense of Georgia’s national interests,” Okhanashvili declared.

Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili praised the SSS for preventing real threats from materializing.

“In today’s volatile geopolitical setting, it is due to the vigilance of our security system that Georgia remains safe—a crucial condition for both our citizens’ well-being and economic development,” Papuashvili said.