The founder of the Immortal Regiment was detained in Georgia on suspicion of espionage
Georgia's State Security Service has detained the founder of the local counterpart to the "Immortal Regiment" and charged him with espionage. Under the charges brought against him, he could face up to 12 years in prison.
This was reported by Georgia’s “First Channel.”
According to investigators, Rtskhiladze spent years collecting and passing intelligence to foreign intelligence services. As a cover, he created information platforms and organized mass events—including “Immortal Regiment” rallies. He passed the data to representatives of the intelligence services of two countries—in person at meetings in Georgia and abroad, as well as electronically. The State Security Service did not specify which countries.
At the same time, a second individual was detained—Irakli Chikhladze, director of the “Eurasia” Media Union and founder of the “Caucasus Center for Human Rights.” He is also charged with espionage.
Rtskhiladze’s lawyer stated that his client links the arrest specifically to his pro-Russian activities—in particular, the creation of a council to identify “Russophobia.” Chikhladze’s lawyer has signed a non-disclosure agreement and is not commenting on the details of the case, but asserts that there is no evidence of espionage in the case.
Rtskhiladze is one of the main proponents of the pro-Russian agenda in Georgia, writes The Moscow Times. The organizations “Immortal Regiment of Georgia,” “People’s Movement for Georgian-Russian Dialogue,” and “Caucasian Cooperation” are registered under his name. The “Eurasia Institute,” which he heads, recently established a council to monitor “Russophobia.”
Rtskhiladze justifies Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and blames Zelenskyy for the war. In 2025, journalists discovered that he had received funding from a Russian foundation supporting compatriots abroad.
Earlier, Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili stated that Tbilisi has no intention of ceding its own territories in exchange for European Union membership. According to him, a similar condition was allegedly imposed on Ukraine during discussions of its European integration.
