Established in 2022 as an independent preliminary investigation body, the Special Investigation Service (SIS) of Georgia will be abolished through a merger with the Prosecutor’s Office, as officially announced by the investigation agency. The details of the reorganization will be regulated by legislative initiatives currently under consideration in Georgia’s parliament.
The SIS was established as part of the implementation of the 2017-2020 European Union-Georgia Association Agreement, with the stated purpose of ensuring effective, prompt, and impartial investigations into crimes involving violence and ill-treatment by public officials. Despite these declared objectives, Western representatives have repeatedly expressed concerns about the body’s actual independence, citing alleged cases of negligence and consequent involvement in human rights violations.
On April 10, 2024, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions against the head of Georgia’s State Security Service, Karlo (Koki) Katsitadze, justifying this decision by his alleged inaction in investigating and prosecuting law enforcement officers who pursued punitive measures against citizens, opposition leaders, journalists, and activists during protests following the adoption of the Foreign Agents Act in May 2024.
It should be noted that tensions between Georgia and several Western nations have intensified following the adoption of legislative acts including the “Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence” and the “Law on Protection of Family Values and Minors,” the latter imposing restrictions on LGBT propaganda. Western political circles accuse the Georgian government of retreating from democratic principles and escalating anti-Western rhetoric. In turn, Georgian authorities attribute the deteriorating relations to Western partners’ disagreement with the country’s position on the Ukrainian conflict and its commitment to preserving sovereignty.