Allied Intelligence — 2026-06-04

France Recalls Intelligence Officers From Georgia After Espionage Case Strains Relations

BLUFGeorgia's quiet expulsion of French intelligence officers signals Tbilisi is now actively degrading Western collection access as its security apparatus tilts toward Moscow's operational norms.

France recalled two intelligence officers from Tbilisi in May following a Georgian State Security Service operation, according to French publication Intelligence Online as cited by RFE/RL's Georgian Service 12; 1TV Georgia reported the number as three 3. The SSG operation was linked to the May 5 arrest of Giorgi Udzilauri, former press secretary of Cartu Bank and a former senior official of Georgia's Financial Police, on espionage charges 14. Intelligence Online reported that Georgian authorities declined to declare the officers persona non grata but instead demanded their withdrawal, warning that non-compliance would result in public disclosure of the officers' identities 12. Neither the Georgian government nor France has publicly commented on the reports 14.

Analysis
The SSG's choice to demand withdrawal under threat of identity disclosure, rather than formal persona non grata proceedings, is a deliberate calibration: Tbilisi signals counterintelligence reach without forcing the public rupture that PNG would impose on both sides. Udzilauri's connection to Cartu Bank, Ivanishvili's financial vehicle, indicates French collection was targeting the Georgian Dream inner circle's financial architecture. Reported by a single primary source with no independent corroboration, the episode marks a new threshold in Tbilisi's willingness to pressure EU-aligned partner services as the ruling party's alignment with Moscow deepens. The operation may instead reflect Georgian Dream's drive to reduce Western intelligence visibility into its financial network rather than a reactive counterintelligence success.

4 sources

France recalls two intelligence officers from Georgia amid espionage case, report says - Georgia Today
France recalls two intelligence officers from Georgia amid espionage case - APA
French Media reports withdrawal of three intelligence officers from Tbilisi - 1TV Georgia
France Recalls Spy Agency Officers From Georgia, Report Says - Caspian Post