Giorgi Udzilauri, who was arrested on espionage charges, has been placed in pretrial detention as a preventive measure by the court.

The defense requested that Udzilauri be released without any preventive measure, but the court granted the prosecution’s motion for imprisonment. The hearing was conducted behind closed doors because the case has been classified as secret.

According to Prosecutor Elizbar Gozalishvili, the Counterintelligence Department of the State Security Service of Georgia uncovered a case of espionage involving a Georgian citizen allegedly acting on instructions from a foreign intelligence service.

The prosecution claims that the accused collected and transmitted information concerning Georgian law enforcement agencies, the country’s political and economic environment, and ethnic minority issues. However, prosecutors declined to identify the foreign state allegedly involved or disclose further evidence, arguing that doing so could damage both the investigation and state interests.

Gozalishvili stated that investigators have obtained what he described as direct evidence confirming the espionage allegations, but said additional details about methods, motives, or possible accomplices cannot yet be disclosed because the investigation remains ongoing.

Defense lawyer Beka Guledani rejected the accusations, saying there is no evidence proving espionage or any harmful activity against Georgia. According to the lawyer, the defendant denies all charges and maintains there is no connection between him and any foreign intelligence service.

Guledani also noted that the case materials are fully classified due to the nature of the allegations and that the defendant is currently exercising his right to remain silent.

The State Security Service of Georgia announced Udzilauri’s arrest on May 5, stating that he had been detained for allegedly collecting and transmitting information on behalf of foreign intelligence operatives.