A court in Tskhinvali has sentenced civil activist Tamara Mearakishvili, accused of spying for Georgia. Citing the court ruling, the online resource "Sapa" reports that the sentence is "immediate expulsion" and a fine of 2,000 rubles, equivalent to more than $24. The ruling was made on December 31, and the Georgian citizen was tried under the article "on violation of the stay regulations by foreigners."
According to the South Ossetian Prosecutor General's Office, the court found that Mearakishvili, while holding a valid Georgian identity card, concealed this and applied for citizenship of the self-proclaimed republic. South Ossetian authorities are demanding that the individual first renounce her current citizenship and then contact the relevant authorities in Tskhinvali.
"The court takes into account that T.A. Mearakishvili failed to take timely steps to leave the country and failed to notify anyone of her Georgian passport. Under these circumstances, the court finds that Mearakishvili should be subject to administrative deportation from the Republic of South Ossetia and sentenced to an administrative fine of 2,000 (two thousand) rubles," the court ruling states.
The defendant herself claims that the court ignored the fact that she had been a citizen of South Ossetia for many years, as well as the fact that she had not been issued a South Ossetian passport for two years, even though she had applied for a renewal when she turned 45. Mearakishvili also recalled that in 2022, the South Ossetian Prosecutor General's Office closed the criminal case against her for obtaining a passport "fraudulently," finding the charges unfounded.
On December 24, the Tskhinvali City Court remanded Mearakishvili in custody. Georgian activists called the case fabricated and called on the Georgian authorities to intervene in her defense. Shortly before her arrest, Tamara Mearakishvili, who had been demanding a meeting with South Ossetian President Alan Gagloev, announced a solo picket. The activist was charged with "espionage," which carries a prison sentence of 10 to 20 years.
It was recently announced that Mearakishvili had been released from the Tskhinvali pretrial detention center and handed over to the Georgian side. A statement from the Georgian State Security Service stated that the co-chairs of the Geneva International Discussions were involved in the negotiations and that "constant communication was maintained through a hotline operated by the European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia."
While in Georgia, Mearakishvili said she was being prosecuted in South Ossetia on charges of espionage for posting a photo on Instagram showing a cell phone tower. According to the prosecution, the tower could have been used by intelligence agencies or could be a target for their bombing.
