American Democratic Senator and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee, Jeanne Shaheen, stated that the search of the homes of employees of the American non-governmental organization, the Atlantic Council, in Tbilisi raises concerns about "Georgia’s ability to conduct free and fair elections."
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The Hill reported on searches conducted by the Georgian Ministry of Finance’s investigative service. The article notes that a day before the search of Eto Buziashvili’s home, on October 23, the Atlantic Council published an article by Buziashvili titled Russia is directly and indirectly meddling in Georgia’s upcoming election.
"The Georgian people and its civil society have the right to have their voices heard and respected - a central tenet of any healthy democratic system. I hope that the Government of Georgia will look into these specific reports and take them seriously," Jeanne Shaheen told The Hill.
Atlantic Council employees Eto Buziashvili and Sopo Gelava investigate Russian disinformation. According to the Washington, D.C.-based organization, their work is "independent, non-partisan work aimed at defending and strengthening democracy from those who would undermine it in online spaces."
The Atlantic Council expressed "deep concern" about "this development shortly before the Georgian election" and its impact on their staff’s work.
"We trust that Georgian authorities will provide more clarity on their actions, ensure the safety and security of our staff, return their property, and allow them to continue their contributions to Georgian democracy. We will continue to monitor the situation closely," the organization stated.
On October 24, the investigative service of the Ministry of Finance conducted several parallel searches in Tbilisi and Kutaisi. In a brief statement, the agency noted that investigators, "acting on operational information," carried out investigative actions at three suspected so-called call centers.
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