De facto authorities in Russia-occupied Tskhinvali have arrested Tamar Mearakishvili, a Georgian citizen and civic activist, accusing her of “espionage.”
The Georgian State Security Service told Civil.ge Tskhinvali confirmed “the illegal arrest” of Mearakishvili, “a Georgian citizen permanently residing in the occupied territory,” adding “intensive communication” is underway on the issue.
RES, a media outlet run by de facto authorities, reported late on December 22 that Tskhinvali’s de facto prosecutors opened a criminal probe against a Georgian citizen under Article 276 of the Russian criminal code, which covers espionage.
“According to the investigation, a Georgian citizen staying in South Ossetia collected and transmitted information about strategically important objects in the republic, thereby threatening the country’s security,” RES reported.
While the media report did not specify the name, human rights advocates in Tbilisi confirmed Mearakishvili’s detention.
Shortly before her arrest, Mearakishvili addressed Alan Margiev, one of the de facto leaders of the occupied region, in a Facebook post, saying she had publicly sought a meeting with him for more than a year and had repeatedly visited the de facto parliament to request an appointment, without success.
She wrote that she was “forced to begin a hunger strike,” due to what she described as “the arbitrary actions of the authorities, complete disregard of the civil service law, labor legislation, and violation of my rights.”
The activist added that the protest was also directed at “the large-scale embezzlement of budget funds in my district – based on the results of audits by the accounting chamber in the education department, hospital, housing and utilities, and in the district administration itself.”
On December 23, a news agency run by the de facto authorities reported, citing the security service of the occupation regime, that the detainee was “suspected of passing information to foreign media outlets affiliated with the Georgian special services.” The statement claimed that “the media used the citizen in propaganda activities to promote the interests of Georgia and its Western partners.”
The arrest raised concerns among human rights advocates in Tbilisi.
“Illegal actions against Tamar Mearakishvili have continued for years by the local regime,” Ucha Nanuashvili, former Georgian Public Defender, wrote on Facebook, noting that “persecution of critical citizens is reaching new levels in the region.”
Nanuashvili called on Tbilisi and the international community to “urgently” start working to free Mearakishvili.
Mearakishvili, an outspoken civic activist who has also worked as a journalist for various media outlets in the past, has faced arrest and prosecution before. She was briefly detained in 2017, accused of spreading defamatory information against local de facto authorities, and later also prosecuted on allegations of fabricating official documents by claiming “South Ossetian” citizenship without renouncing Georgian citizenship.
In 2019, however, a court in Akhalgori lifted charges against her.
Also Read:
- 05/10/2025 – Sokhumi Detains Georgian National in Gali on ‘Espionage’ Charges
- 09/04/2020 – Amnesty Int’l: Tskhinvali Authorities Must Stop Persecuting Outspoken Journalists
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