SSSG Chief Mdinaradze Talks October 4, ‘Radicals,’ Planned U.S. Visit in Interview With Imedi TV

Mamuka Mdinaradze, the new head of the State Security Service of Georgia, gave his first televised interview on October 1 to the pro-government broadcaster Imedi TV. In the 46-minute interview with Imedi Live anchor Magda Anikashvili, Mdinaradze discussed the political environment ahead of October 4, when Georgia holds local elections alongside a planned large opposition rally. He also confirmed the planned visit to the United States in November.

The interview opened with a question about the so-called hexogen case, in which two Ukrainians were detained for transporting explosives that the SSSG said were either bound for Russia or more likely destined for Tbilisi. Mdinaradze said the case, which came weeks before the elections, “cannot be a coincidence,” and “at least, we should not seriously think that it was just a coincidence: there are such special operations in Georgia before all the elections.” He drew parallels with former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s return to Georgia ahead of the 2021 local elections and the car blast targeting UNM member Givi Targamadze before the 2016 parliamentary elections.

Mdinaradze was then asked about the funding of what anchor Magda Anikashvili called “radical groups,” noting that the scheme had shifted from civil society organizations to universities. Recent Imedi TV reports have accused the universities, including the University of Georgia, founded by former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s mother, Giuli Alasania, of funding extremism ahead of the elections. Mdinaradze said that after the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) came into force, universities have become a “loophole” for foreign funding, which he claimed is then directed toward “funding radicalism.”

He then alleged that certain people in Georgia are funded by an embassy in Thailand, which he did not name but appeared to mean the U.S. Embassy, for “anti-Chinese goals,” but claimed that “in reality, about 95 to 99 percent” of the money is used for “radicalism directed against the government, revolutionary goals and other activities and planning.” He further said, “With such aims American taxpayers’ money is spent, even though they elected their government to fight ‘Chinese threats,’ from their perspective, yes […] but this money is in reality spent for another purpose.” In a September 28 report, Imedi TV claimed that the U.S. Embassy in Thailand was financing Georgian universities with “millions” of lari.

The interview then turned to pre-election calls from several opposition members urging law enforcement to side with protesters during the large rally planned for October 4. Mdinaradze said, “They are indeed looking for such people,” but added, “None of the riot police will give others reason to call them traitors.” He continued, “You cannot buy dignity with money…They are trying very much, but they are struggling a lot.” He said that among “tens of thousands” of law enforcement officials, “so far there has not been a single one who would agree with this.” Several opposition members, including UNM’s Levan Khabeishvili, offered riot police USD 200,000 each not to disperse citizens during the planned October 4 “peaceful revolution.” Khabeishvili was later arrested on charges of offering a bribe.

The journalist also asked him to comment on recent false bomb alarms targeting court buildings. The SSSG chief linked the threats to Ukraine without naming the country directly, referring instead to “where hexogen was sent from” and “where some planning is going on.” He added, “This is not a coincidence. All these are in correlation. These are connected. To create a certain mood of tension, many calls are being made about bombs.”

The interview then shifted to Georgian Dream’s declared “uncompromising” fight against corruption, during which several former officials and GD associates have been arrested. Dismissing claims that the arrests are part of “pre-election PR,” Mdinaradze pledged that the “irreversible” fight against corruption would continue after the elections. He said it would be “sad” for him if another former GD member were convicted of corruption, but added, “We will not be tolerant of anyone who has dirty hands in corruption.”

At the end of the interview, Mdinaradze spoke about his recent visit to Azerbaijan, where, he said he met heads of 95 countries’ security services and had long discussions with a dozen of them about sharing experience. He also announced his planned visit to the United States in November, where he said he will meet his colleagues from special services.

“We will share experience and seek to cooperate on equal terms – not looking up at someone from below or having them look down on us from above, but working with other countries’ security services as equals. And this cooperation, I want to stress deliberately, means sharing the interests of both sides equally,” Mdinaradze said.

He then returned to the upcoming elections, saying, “The vote will take place peacefully.”

“They will try to stir things up, and if they go too far, we will have to respond even more forcefully. We have information that they are seriously discussing actions that could provoke public outrage. I advise no one to do this. Not only do I warn against carrying it out – without exaggeration, I wouldn’t even advise thinking about it – because they would face a very severe response,” he said.

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• 23/08/2025 – Mdinaradze Tapped as New Security Service Chief After Okhanashvili Resigns
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