Mamuka Mdinaradze Appointed Georgia's New State Security Head Amid Political Upheaval

Mamuka Mdinaradze

Tbilisi, Georgia – Mamuka Mdinaradze, the parliamentary leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party, has been appointed as the new head of the State Security Service (SSG), replacing Anri Okhanashvili, who resigned less than five months into his tenure. This high-profile change comes amidst a period of significant political shifts, numerous personnel changes, and ongoing anti-government protests in Georgia.

Okhanashvili's Abrupt Departure and New Role

Anri Okhanashvili's resignation was announced via a Facebook post, a method that has become characteristic of several past high-profile departures. Appointed to the position in April, Okhanashvili stated that he would continue his work as Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s advisor on national security issues. He noted that "global and regional security are facing new challenges" that impact Georgia, expressing confidence that his "experience and knowledge" would enable him to successfully provide analysis and recommendations in his new advisory capacity.

Prime Minister Kobakhidze, while nominating Mdinaradze, asserted that Okhanashvili had made "special contribution" to many "important changes" within the SSG, despite his short time in office. Before his SSG role, Okhanashvili served as a Georgian Dream MP from 2017 to November 2024, followed by a brief stint as Minister of Justice until April 2025. He expressed gratitude to the ruling team and specifically to Bidzina Ivanishvili for their trust and support.

Mdinaradze's Appointment and Controversial Background

Mamuka Mdinaradze's nomination for SSG chief will be submitted to parliament for approval, with Kobakhidze expressing confidence in his "strong trust from parliament". The Prime Minister highlighted Mdinaradze's "very long, many years of experience working in law enforcement agencies" as crucial for the role.

However, Mdinaradze’s pre-Georgian Dream career was predominantly legal rather than strictly law enforcement. He is a lawyer by profession, having worked as an investigator at the Vake-Saburtalo investigative service in Tbilisi from 2001 to 2004, and then practiced law in various organisations, including his co-founded firm Mdinaradze & Partners Lawyers, from 2007 to 2016.

Since 2016, Mdinaradze has been a prominent figure in the ruling party, leading the Georgian Dream’s parliamentary faction and becoming the leader of the parliamentary majority in February 2024. In this capacity, Mdinaradze has been at the forefront of presenting restrictive laws adopted by Georgian Dream over the past two years. These include the controversial foreign agents legislation and anti-queer laws, as well as other bills targeting independent media, civil society, and street protests. He has also actively promoted Georgian Dream’s conspiracy theories, such as the 'global war party' and the 'deep state,' which allegedly seek to overthrow the Georgian government.

Opposition Slams Personnel Changes as Humiliation and Internal Strife

Opposition figures have strongly criticised Okhanashvili’s removal. Irakli Kupradze, a Tbilisi mayoral candidate, described the move as an "embarrassment," claiming Okhanashvili was made to "carry out dirty tasks" before being "transferred to an advisory position, unpaid, without any respect or integrity". Kupradze suggested this indicates "Georgian Dream is collapsing from within," with the party's founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili, losing trust in officials who are then "sidelined". Levan Khabeishvili of the United National Movement (UNM) party echoed this, stating the change "humiliated Anri [Okhanashvili]" and suggested Mdinaradze's new role might involve extensive surveillance, hinting at the SSG's alleged monitoring of private lives.

Wider Pattern of Resignations and Detentions

Okhanashvili's resignation is part of a broader pattern of personnel changes and arrests of former high-ranking officials within the Georgian Dream government in recent months. Several ministers, including the Interior, Infrastructure, Economy, and Education Ministers, have stepped down in 2025. Notably, the former SSG head, Grigol Liluashvili, who Okhanashvili replaced, also resigned in April and saw his subsequent appointment as Minister of Regional Development rescinded due to "disagreements on certain issues". Changes have also occurred within the police, with the resignation of US-sanctioned Georgian riot police chief Zviad Kharazishvili.

Furthermore, law enforcement authorities have detained at least two former deputy ministers on corruption charges: Deputy Economy Minister Romeo Mikautadze in June (leading to Minister Davitashvili's resignation) and former Deputy Defence Minister Giorgi Khaindrava in July. Speculation around these events intensified following the incident on 7 July, when former Adjara Government Chair Tornike Rizhvadze was hospitalised with a gunshot wound. Pro-government media circulated an alleged "suicide letter," but its authenticity was questioned by critics.

Protests and Fines Against Participants

Ongoing protests have been taking place in Georgia since last November, demanding new parliamentary elections and the continuation of the country's European integration course. The government has rejected these demands and has been fining participants, including journalists, for "blocking roads". The fine for such participation has significantly increased from 500 lari to 5,000 lari since last December.

In one notable case, Javid Ahmadov, an Azerbaijani student studying journalism in Georgia, was fined 5,000 lari for filming a protest in Tbilisi on 10 July as part of a university assignment. He discovered the fine when attempting to cross the Sarp border checkpoint into Turkey on 24 August. While Georgian law does not require payment upon exit, the fine must be settled upon re-entry into the country. Ahmadov is in contact with a Georgian lawyer to appeal the fine, though his lawyer has warned that border officials might still prevent his re-entry even if the fine is cancelled. Ahmadov plans to return to Georgia as he has a flight to Germany from Kutaisi in September.

These developments underscore a period of considerable political tension and internal reshuffling within Georgia, marked by a hardening stance against dissent and a perceived consolidation of power by the ruling party.