The American organization Atlantic Council responded to yesterday’s investigative-search actions carried out in the homes of two of their Georgian employees, Sofo Gelava and Eto Buziashvili.
The organization states that it is deeply concerned about the incident and hopes that the authorities will shed light on the issue and ensure the safety of their employees.
“On the morning of October 24, representatives of the investigative service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia raided the homes of two employees of the Atlantic Council Digital Expertise Research Laboratory [DFR Lab] in Tbilisi, Georgia, and confiscated their electronic devices.
“The Atlantic Council is deeply concerned about this event and its impact on the work of our employees shortly before the Georgian elections.
“Our Georgian colleagues, Sofo Gelava and Eto Buziashvili, are engaged in independent, nonpartisan work aimed at protecting and strengthening democracies from those who undermine them in online spaces, including research related to foreign influence efforts, the targeting of marginalized groups, and other harm.
“We trust that the Georgian authorities will shed more light on their actions, ensure the safety and security of our employees, return their property, and allow them to continue to contribute to Georgia’s democracy.
“Atlantic Council has long been a supporter of democratic and independent Georgia and its aspirations to join the institutions of the transatlantic community.
“The Digital Expertise Research Lab publishes research that emphasizes the importance of discourse and objective information as the foundation of free, open, and democratic nations.
“The Atlantic Council will continue its work in Georgia in the spirit of its mission to shape the global future with partners and allies. We will continue to carefully monitor the situation”, the statement said.
On the morning of October 24, the investigative service of the Ministry of Finance entered the homes of two Georgian employees of the American research organization Atlantic Council, Sofo Gelava and Eto Buziashvili. Sofo Gelava said that law enforcement officers told her that several investigations are underway, including money laundering related to the contractor HR company of the Atlantic Council.
The Atlantic Council is a well-known American research center (Think Tank), which was founded in 1961. Both Sofo Gelava and Eto Buziashvili work in the direction of exposing Russian propaganda and disinformation.
