"Unknown individuals called me today for the fourth time, this time from a Georgian number. They provided me with the address of the residential building where my mother resides with children. They informed me that they were waiting for me at the apartment and would overpowered me. This constitutes a direct threat," stated Natia Kuprashvili, the Journalism Resource Center director, who is actively involved in protests against the Russian Law on so-called Foreign Agents.
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"They called me for the first time yesterday, from a number in Dnipro, Ukraine. I always answer calls from there, as we have close relations with a displaced family, and I never ignore them. I answered the call loudly. When they began to swear, my husband was next to me, and he cursed at them too.
At half past three in the night, I received a call from Chad (a country in Central Africa), but I did not answer. In the morning, they called me from a German number, and I also did not answer this call. Since they were unable to complete their task, they called me for the fourth time from a Georgian number. I was expecting a call from a journalist, which is why I answered the unknown number.
An unknown individual addressed me by name and claimed to be at the apartment. I asked for clarification, inquiring, "Which apartment? Who are you?" They proceeded to give me the address of my house, where my mother resides and where my children were. I reiterated, "Who are you?" Thinking that my mother might need something. The caller continued, saying, "If you come down..." and started cursing and making threats with obscene language. And I hung up the call.
Since yesterday, we have been reporting that unknown individuals are calling us and threatening us. Today, the Internal Affairs Ministry informed us that they have not even opened a case. The Personal Data Protection Inspectorate told us that they are not involved. Unknown persons have obtained and processed our personal information, and are attempting to intimidate us.'I'm near the apartment, come down and f**k your mother,' what more threats should there be?” Natia Kuprashvili has stated that she will write to the prosecutor's office requesting the initiation of an investigation.
Unknown individuals called Nino Zuriashvili, the investigative studio Monitor editor-in-chief, even today. "They called me for the first time yesterday. He asked me, 'Are you Nino Zuriashvili from Studio Monitor?' I said yes, and he started swearing. I asked, 'What do you want? Why are you calling me?' 'Why are you calling it Russian on the European law of transparency?' 'That's why I'm swearing at you.' Then I hung up. They have called me eight more times since then."
I am almost 100% sure that this personal data is taken from the Internal Affairs Ministry, because they know everything very well. They are already calling their relatives," Nino Zuriashvili told Georgian News.
Despite numerous appeals, the Personal Data Protection Service responded two days later to the organized campaign against opponents of the Russian Law and stated that it would study the legality of the processing of citizens' phone numbers by unknown persons.
"Based on information spread on social networks, unknown individuals have been contacting citizens using personal phone numbers in recent days. Based on this, the Personal Data Protection Service will study the legality of the processing of citizens' telephone numbers by unknown persons within the scope of its competence," the statement said.
Today, the Parliament Chairman, Shalva Papuashvili, has already publicly announced that they will create a database through party structures to collect information about all individuals "involved in violence, other illegal actions, threats, and blackmail, or who publicly endorse such actions."
