Georgia's SSS Detains Terror Case Convict

Georgia’s State Security Service (SSS) reports that as a result of operative-searching activities conducted by the officers of the Counter-Terrorism Center together with the Adjara Police Department and the Special Tasks Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia have detained Ruslan Shavadze, 21, who was wanted on charges of joining a foreign terrorist organization and assisting IS-linked terrorist Akhmet Chatayev and his group to enter Georgia and carry out terrorism activities.

By the judgment of July 27, 2018 of Tbilisi City Court, Ruslan Shavadze was found guilty in joining foreign terrorist organization and assisting them in terrorist activities and illegal crossing of the Georgian state border in group. He was sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment in absentia under the Article 328 and 1st and 2nd paragraphs of Article 344 of the Criminal Code of Georgia.

Akhmet Chatayev and two of his group members died on November 22, 2017 in Tbilisi during the special operation in the Isani District. As SSS reports, during the operation two terrorists – Ibragim Adashev and Aslanbeg Soltakhmadov were killed, Chatyev blew himself up and Shoaip Borziev was detained.

The SSS says that Ruslan Shavadze left the flat a few hours before the beginning of the operation and hid. During the investigation process he was charged in absentia, searching was announced against him and active searching activities were going aiming at his detention.

“Based on the existing information, in September 2016, Ruslan Shavadze illegally crossed the green border of Georgia on the territory of village Maradidi and entered the territory of Turkey.Ruslan Shavadze joined the group of Akhmed Chatayev on the territory of Syria-Iraq and was involved in fighting. After some period, when Chatayev left the territory of Syria-Iraq, Ruslan Shavadze went to Turkey together with him,” the SSS reports.

So far five men have been arrested with alleged links to the killed terrorists, excluding Shavadze: Zurab Gornakashvili, Ruslan Almadov, Ramaz Margoshvili, Badur Chopanashvili and Zurab Idoidze.

One more person, Temirlan Machalikashvili, 19, who was wounded during the detention operation in Pankisi on December 26, died on January 10 in the hospital. The family of the deceased claim he had no links with terrorism.

The SSS says the terrorists killed in November were planning to attack diplomatic missions in Georgia and Turkey.

By Thea Morrison 

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