Ex-Ombudsman Summoned to SSSG Over ‘Communication’ With Moscow Mechanism Expert

2026-03-17 - 09:45

Former Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili said on March 17 that he has been summoned by Georgia’s State Security Service (SSSG) over his “communication” with an expert of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism, days after the publication of the critical report that noted “marked democratic backsliding” in Georgia. The summons comes as Georgia’s ruling party officials, including Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, have dismissed the critical findings in the recently published Moscow Mechanism report as “pre-written,” accusing the rapporteur who authored it of “political bias” and concealing “conflict of interest.” “Last night, an investigator from the SSSG called me and summoned me over my communication with an expert of the OSCE Moscow Mechanism,” Nanuashvili, who has been leading the Democracy Research Center, a civil society organization, wrote on Facebook on March 17. “As I understood, my name was mentioned on television by [activist] Davit Katsarava.” “Is communication with an OSCE expert now forbidden for human rights defenders?” he said. “It seems the Moscow Mechanism is causing them [Georgian Dream] serious concern.” On March 16, pro-government POSTV channel circulated a 15-second video from a TV Pirveli interview with activist Davit Katsarava, who says that Nanuashvili told him that he would be interviewed under the Moscow Mechanism, but he wasn’t subsequently contacted. Nanuashvili’s summons comes days after the March 12 publication of a report under the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism, a human dimension tool invoked by 24 participating states. The report, authored by sole rapporteur Patrycja Grzebyk, noted “marked democratic backsliding” in Georgia since spring 2024, recommending the immediate release of “all prisoners held for political reasons” and the repeal of a series of restrictive legislation, among other steps. Also Read: 14/03/2026 – Kobakhidze Says Moscow Mechanism Report Was Pre-Drafted, Alleges ‘Conflict of Interest’ 11/03/2026 – OSCE PA Delegation Concludes Visit to Georgia, Notes ‘Absence of Political Dialogue’