The German ambassador, a cappuccino – and Georgia’s shadow state

When Georgia's pro-government media talk about "information," one can expect a spectacle that ranges from provincial theater to a post-Soviet surveillance state. This time, Imedi TV reports (via its infamous "Chronicle" section, of course): "According to our information, the German ambassador is currently meeting with radical opposition activists in a cafe in Batumi – and giving them instructions."

A sentence like something out of an intelligence report—or from the script of a particularly bad espionage satire. No picture, no evidence, no source—but a clear framing: The West is allegedly actively interfering in Georgia's internal affairs. And this is happening through the representative of the country that Brussels considers Georgia's main ally on its path to the EU.

The old method: observe, suspect, delegitimize

That Imedi operates with such "exclusives" is no surprise to anyone who has ever heard the name Irakli Rukhadze. The US citizen and partner of the London-registered Hunnewell Partners controls not only Imedi but also significant parts of the Georgian economy: Liberty Bank , Magticom , HeidelbergCement , and Rustavi Steel —all in one hand. His political loyalty lies—not surprisingly—with Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Rukhadze is not only a loyal business partner, but also the voice of the regime. The British Labour opposition recently called for an investigation into Hunnewell Partners , as the company allegedly operates Imedi , the most important propaganda tool of an authoritarian government.

Repeat with announcement: The surveillance of US diplomats

Anyone who thinks the "Chronika" story about the German ambassador is merely grotesque should recall the reports published by TV Pirveli in 2022. At that time, internal documents from the Georgian security service (SUS) were made public. They proved that American diplomats were being systematically and illegally monitored—with photographic and video footage, operational memos, and detailed movement logs.

Want an example? On July 4, 2021, US Ambassador Kelly Degnan was observed at an event at the Sheraton Metekhi Palace. Information about her stay came directly from the hotel's security chief—a reliable informant for the intelligence agency. Private meetings at the ambassador's residence were also recorded—including meetings with opposition politicians such as Giorgi Vashadze.

As in the textbook of authoritarian systems

The logic behind this is well-known: Diplomatic contacts with the opposition are portrayed as conspiratorial, and the country's own population is to be convinced that the opposition is being controlled from outside – ideally directly by the "decadent West." The method seems familiar: stigmatize, isolate, discredit. While simultaneously sabotaging any form of genuine foreign policy.

It's hardly a coincidence that Imedi is now making virtually the same accusation against the German ambassador that SUS already leveled against the Americans. This isn't journalism, but rather a continuation of intelligence manipulation—this time presented in a media-friendly manner. At a time when Germany (together with the EU) is exerting increasing pressure on the Georgian government, it fits the bill to publicly cast suspicion on German diplomacy.

Sanctions: The West reacts – at least partially

In the US and UK, there has long been not only criticism, but also concrete action. Republican Representative Joe Wilson , chairman of the Helsinki Commission , is calling for sanctions against Irakli Rukhadze personally. He writes on X : "Rukhadze is Ivanishvili's chief propagandist, owns numerous corrupt assets, and spreads hatred against America through 'Imedi.' Sanctions are on the way."

One can ask how long Europe will continue to watch while Georgian security structures spy on Western diplomats – and have effectively outsourced their public service function to propaganda media.

When cafes become crime scenes

In a normal country, a meeting between an ambassador and civil society actors in a café would be considered an expression of diplomatic openness. In Georgia—or rather, in the regime's paranoid parallel universe—it becomes a subversive conspiracy.

The fact that such stories are now coming from a television station closely linked to a US citizen demonstrates the absurdity of the situation. Georgia is playing with fire – and increasingly risks not only alienating its international partners, but actively antagonizing them.