Day: June 4, 2026

France was forced to recall two intelligence officers stationed in Tbilisi in May after Georgian authorities uncovered the recruitment of a former associate of Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, according to a report published by French outlet Intelligence Online on June 3.

The report concerns Giorgi Udzilauri, a senior official at the Finance Ministry’s Investigative Service and former head of the public relations service of Ivanishvili’s Cartu Group, who was detained on May 5 on allegations of spying for what the SSSG described as “one of the big European countries,” without identifying it. Later, Mamuka Mdinaradze, the newly appointed State Minister for Coordination of Law Enforcement Bodies, hinted that the country in question could be France.

Intelligence Online reported that the French intelligence service DGSE (Directorate-General for External Security) had recruited Udzilauri in recent months, describing the operation as a “successful manoeuvre” that was ultimately uncovered by Georgian counterintelligence.

The outlet said that “just four days after the announcement of Udzilauri’s arrest, the Georgian government suddenly ordered Western countries to withdraw their spies operating in the country, threatening to reveal the identities of their agents in the event of refusal.” According to the publication, the DGSE complied with the demand, recalling two officers to Paris who were posted at the French Embassy in Tbilisi.

The outlet said it contacted the DGSE, which declined to comment on the matter, stating only that none of its officers had been declared persona non grata by the Georgian authorities. It added that neither the SSSG nor the Georgian Embassy in Paris responded to its requests for comment before publication.

According to Intelligence Online, the latest developments prompted extensive discussions between the DGSE and the SSSG. “Nicolas Lerner, director of the French service, wished for all necessary clarifications to be provided so that the bilateral dialogue, particularly important in his view with the agencies of this country, could continue on the basis discussed and agreed upon between the services,” the publication reported.

Intelligence Online suggested that Georgia’s decision not to publicly identify France may reflect “Paris’ efforts to maintain dialogue with Tbilisi” despite growing strains in bilateral relations following Georgia’s disputed 2024 parliamentary elections. The outlet described the case as “a serious blow” for French intelligence, noting that Paris considers Georgia “a prime outpost” for monitoring developments in Russia. It added that the DGSE station in Tbilisi, which closed in the late 1990s and reopened in 2003, has gained renewed importance since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Udzilauri remains in pretrial detention and denies any wrongdoing. His lawyer, Beka Guledani, told RFE/RL’s Georgian Service on June 3 that Udzilauri believes the charges are politically motivated, connected to his involvement in pro-European protests against the Georgian Dream government.

“He acknowledges that, in parallel with his work at the investigative service, he attended pro-European student protest rallies on Rustaveli twice,” Guledani told RFE/RL, adding that Udzilauri had been “warned” that his communications and movements were under surveillance but nevertheless continued meetingს and communications freely.

Guledani also said that Udzilauri opposes what he called “the current government’s isolationist policy, Georgian diplomacy’s cowardly attitude towards Russia, and the justification of everything by the ‘threat of war.’”

Udzilauri’s case is one of four espionage investigations announced by the SSSG since April. While authorities have generally withheld the identities of the countries allegedly involved, the other suspects include Tamaz Goloev, allegedly linked to Russia; Gulbaat Rtskhiladze, reportedly accused of spying for Russia and Iran; and journalist Irakli Chikhladze, who Mamuka Mdinaradze implied recently was accused of “representing the resident of the so-called special service of the same country” involved in another espionage-related arrest weeks earlier, possibly referring to Udzilauri.

Speaking about that arrest, Mdinaradze said on June 1: “This was indeed followed by quite positive communication between the relevant services; however, we must emphasize that two days ago, the State Security Service detained only those individuals who, despite the warning, did not cease certain activities in the aforementioned direction even after the previous arrests.”

Also Read:

• 12/05/2026 – French National Assembly Resolution Condemns GD’s ‘Illiberal and Authoritarian Drift,’ Calls for Sanctions Against Ivanishvili
• 24/02/2026 – On Ukraine War Anniversary, French, German and British Ambassadors Talk Need for Tbilisi to Repair Euro-Atlantic Ties
• 20/05/2025 – Georgia Hands Over Suspects in Transnational Trafficking Case to French Authorities

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