The State Security Service (SSG) has disclosed part of the evidence obtained through a secret investigation concerning representatives of the Canvas organization.

“On September 25, Serbian citizens Sinisa Sikman, Jelena Stojsic, and Slobodan Djinovic arrived in Georgia at the invitation of the East-West Management Institute of the USAID program. These individuals are associated with the revolutionary events in Georgia in 2003, and they were also connected with similar processes in Serbia, Ukraine, and other countries in different years,” the State Security Service announced at the briefing.

“These individuals were actively involved in teaching methods of creating protest charges and tactics for conducting violent actions. They represent the management of the Canvas organization, and Sinisa Sikman and Slobodan Djinovic are former members of the Otpor organization, an analogue of the Georgian organization Kmara in Serbia.

We would remind the public that the organization Canvas, whose core is the Otpor organization, is being used to prepare youth groups for the revolutionary scenario planned in October-December of this year in Georgia. These organizations have practical experience in participating in revolutionary processes in foreign countries and in teaching how to organize violent protests.

The declared reason for the arrival of the mentioned persons in Georgia was to conduct training for groups working in the field of culture on the issues of “strategic non-violent struggle”.

However, the investigation established that their visit had a broader and more concerning purpose. Specifically, the actual intent of their visit to Georgia was not solely for cultural training. Instead, it aimed at establishing communication and conducting training with young people and influential non-governmental organizations, which should become the core of destructive and illegal actions planned in Georgia in October-December of this year.

Between September 26-29, 2023, at the Ibis Hotel in Tbilisi, the training of representatives from non-governmental organizations and civil activists took place. One significant group, meant to play a decisive role in preparing and executing processes to overthrow the government through violent means, received training during this period. The training covered various aspects, including how to act against target groups such as the government, the Orthodox Church, the State Security Service, and other agencies. Participants were instructed on creating pickets and artificial traffic jams, setting up tents in front of administrative buildings, generating tension in power structures, and responding violently to their legal demands. Trainees were also prepared for expected arrests, instructed on resisting methods during such times, and educated on issues like financing rally participants, invading the parliament building, disrupting broadcasting stations, seizing power, and overthrowing the legally elected government of Georgia.

The training included a comparative analysis of various revolutionary processes, including a dramatic example from Serbia.

On September 29, 2023, investigators of the State Security Service of Georgia interrogated Sinisa Sikman, Jelena Stojsic, and Slobodan Djinovic in the presence of lawyers and translators, during which they tried to disguise the real reason for their stay in Georgia to avoid the expected criminal liability. It should be noted that their testimonies contradict the evidence obtained by the investigation and are contradictory in some details,” the statement reads.

According to the SSG, on September 30, 2023, Sinisa Sikman, Jelena Stojsic, and Slobodan Djinovic departed Georgia for Belgrade.

SSG says that it is sharing part of the evidence obtained through a secret investigation against those persons, conducted based on a judge’s ruling, and the prosecutor declassified this information due to the increasing public interest in the case.

“Currently, an active investigation and operative-search measures are underway to prevent crimes against the state,” it added.

As informed by SSG, on September 26-29, Canvas-Georgia and the East-West Management Institute organized a USAID-funded conference.