Country Reports on Terrorism 2014 - Georgia

Overview: In 2014, Georgia continued its robust engagement with the United States across a range of counterterrorism-related issues and remained a strong U.S. counterterrorism partner. However, there are continuing concerns about Georgia as a transit and source country for international terrorism. Media reported that, as of December, between 50 and 100 Georgian nationals from the Muslim-majority regions of Adjara and the Pankisi Gorge were fighting in Syria and Iraq for either al-Qa'ida affiliates or the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), including senior ISIL commander Tarkhan Batirashvili (aka Omar al-Shishani). Given Georgia's geographic location, violent Islamist extremists continued to transit through the country between the Russian Federation's North Caucasus and Syria and Iraq.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and former Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze publicly committed to provide humanitarian support as part of Georgia's contribution to and membership of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL. Following the passage of UN Security Council Resolution 2178, the Georgian government initiated changes to its criminal code related to foreign terrorist fighters and modified regulations to strengthen document security along the border with Turkey. Georgian and Turkish nationals are allowed to cross the border in both directions using identification cards that lack the security features of passports, thus increasing the likelihood that fraudulent documents could be used at the critical Turkish-Georgian border checkpoint on the route to Syria through Turkey.

Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security: Georgia continued to enhance its counterterrorism legislation in 2014. In April, the Georgian government amended the Criminal Code to criminalize participation in international terrorism, recruitment for membership in a terrorist organization, and failing to hinder a terrorist incident. The Georgian government amended other terrorism-related articles in the Criminal Code in July to bring them into line with international best practices and make them more precise for use in criminal prosecutions. In November, Georgia updated its legislation on surveillance to provide for additional oversight of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is primarily responsible for counterterrorism and for conducting surveillance within the country. As of December, the Georgian government was preparing additional amendments to the Criminal Code and other relevant legislation related to foreign terrorist fighters to fully implement UN Security Council Resolution 2178. The country would benefit from additional legislation to allow for the creation of a means to identify and sanction individuals who are not included on UN sanctions list and to improve the Georgian government's ability to prosecute terrorism cases.

Counterterrorism units within Georgia's Ministry of Internal Affairs have the lead in investigating terrorism-related incidents, and in December, the Georgian government established a new interagency mechanism that would operate as a joint task force to conduct a major counterterrorism operation, if needed. Overall, the Georgian government is largely capable of detecting, deterring, and responding to terrorism incidents. However, several ministries and offices share counterterrorism responsibilities, creating challenges to cooperation and information sharing. Nonetheless, the Georgian government took steps toward improving interagency coordination. The government set up a counterterrorism working group within the country's State Security and Crisis Management Council to promote regular communication among relevant agencies and a crisis management unit within the same Council that would coordinate the government's response in the event of a major terrorist incident.

Georgia continued efforts to strengthen its overall border security, in part due to its goal to attain visa-free travel to the EU. However, Tbilisi's lack of control over its Russian-occupied territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, harsh terrain, and a continuing tense relationship with Moscow limited the country's ability to secure its northern border. In 2014, Georgia took steps to strengthen document security by imposing stricter conditions on issuing a second passport and, since late July, issuing biometric passports. Georgian law enforcement used UN sanctions lists as terrorist watchlists and advance passenger name records on commercial flights at ports of entry, to help detect potential terrorist movement. More comprehensive biometric and biographic screening at ports of entry would enhance this capability, however. With significant U.S. support, the Georgian Coast Guard is now better equipped to patrol the country's maritime borders, with the exception of Russian-occupied Abkhazia's coastline, and the Georgian government continued to improve its ability to detect and interdict WMD. Georgia shares cross-border terrorism-related information with its southern neighbors – Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan – through police attaches and working-level interaction at border crossings. Chains of supervision at the border hamper official cross-border communication, however, as border guards and patrol police at border checkpoints must check with Tbilisi before sharing information with senior law enforcement in neighboring countries.

Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Georgia is a member of the Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism (MONEYVAL), a Financial Action Task Force (FATF)-style regional body. Georgia's amendments to terrorist financing legislation – to address shortcomings highlighted in MONEYVAL's 2012 evaluation – came into force in January, and in March, the Georgian government adopted a strategy and action plan for combating money laundering and terrorist financing to further improve regulations and build capacity. In response to recommendations from MONEYVAL and the FATF, the government established the Interagency Commission on Implementation of UNSC Resolutions to coordinate the government's immediate compliance with UN Security Council Resolutions 1267 and 1373. For further information on money laundering and financial crimes, see the 2014 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), Volume 2, Money Laundering and Financial Crimes: http://www.state.gov/j/inl/rls/nrcrpt/index.htm.

Regional and International Cooperation: Georgia is actively engaged on counterterrorism issues at the international, regional, and bilateral levels, and participates in regional organizations such as the Council of Europe Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism and its amending protocol, the Organization of Black Sea Economic Cooperation, and the GUAM (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova) Organization for Democracy and Economic Development. The Council of Europe Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure, and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime and on the Financing of Terrorism (Warsaw Convention) came into force in Georgia in May. As of December, Georgia had concluded bilateral law enforcement and counterterrorism treaties with 23 countries. In 2014, Georgian law enforcement officials participated in counterterrorism-related training and capacity-building exercises with the Governments of Turkey, the UK, Israel, and Slovakia, as well as with the George Marshall Center in Germany, the OSCE, and the UN.

Countering Radicalization to Violence and Violent Extremism: In 2014, Georgia increased its nascent efforts to prevent radicalization in vulnerable populations, but more focus – particularly in the areas of economic development, community policing, prison reform, and outreach to Muslim communities – would strengthen the government's ability to identify and provide alternatives to at-risk individuals. In order to increase the integration of Muslim youth into Georgian society, the Georgian government now allows students to pass exams in languages other than Georgian, and the government attempts to better advertise educational opportunities and scholarships to vulnerable populations. The Muslim-majority Adjara region already enjoys significant autonomy, and legislation passed in February gives more autonomy to municipalities and villages, including in the Muslim-majority Pankisi Gorge.