TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Prosecutor General’s Office on Wednesday questioned two former officials as part of an investigation into a 2019 border incident near Russian-controlled South Ossetia.
The case centers on the deployment of a border detachment under Georgia’s State Security Service (SSSG), which reportedly entered the Chorchana area without proper coordination. A police checkpoint was established close to the administrative boundary line with South Ossetia, a breakaway region occupied by Russian forces since the 2008 war.
Levan Izoria, who previously served as both Defense Minister and later head of the SSSG, was summoned for questioning. Speaking to local media, Izoria said he first learned of the deployment through the press and not via official channels. He claimed the detachment was already stationed in the area when he was informed. Izoria called the outcome “bad” and warned that such unilateral decisions could expose Georgia to even greater risks in future.
Also summoned was Davit Sujashvili, the former head of Georgia’s Intelligence Service. He is reportedly being asked to clarify the decision-making chain behind the checkpoint’s deployment.
The investigation has sparked political concern, as former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia who is implicated as the suspect in the case, is today leader of one of the opposition parties that have had some success. The main allegation is that Georgia lost control over some territory in the incident, but this is rejected by Gakharia’s party For Georgia, which plans to take part in local elections this October.
The Prosecutor’s Office has not released further details, but confirmed the investigation concerns the circumstances surrounding the Chorchana episode. The inquiry comes amid wider public scrutiny of security decisions along the boundary with Russian-occupied territories.
