None of the Georgian citizens went to Syria or Iraq in 2018, – Vakhtang Gomelauri, Head of the State Security Service, said in his annual report delivered in the Parliament.

According to Gomelauri, the attempts to use Georgia as a transit by terrorists have significantly decreased as well, while the investigation was launched into 10 terrorism-related cases under the Criminal Code of Georgia last year.

In addition, according to Gomelauri, several Georgian citizens died in hostilities in Syria and Iraq in 2018 and up to 20 Georgian citizens are still fighting in the terrorist organizations.

The State Security Service continues taking measures in connection with the return of the above-mentioned persons to the country. “The State Security Service has charged several persons for involvement in and assistance to a terrorist organization.

“None of the Georgian citizens departed for Syria and Iraq in 2018. As a result of the implementation of relevant measures, the attempts to use Georgia as a transit by terrorist organizations have significantly reduced as well. Similar to other countries of the world, there are still some challenges in this direction. From this point of view, Georgia does not belong to the highest risk countries. Consequently, any accusation regarding this issue is reviewed by the State Security Service as a deliberate provocation,” Gomelauri said.