Georgian Intelligence Service
| საქართველოს დაზვერვის სამსახური | |
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GIS coat of arms | |
 GIS flag | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | September 19, 1997 |
| Headquarters | 4 K. Kekelidze St., Tbilisi, Georgia 0179 |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | www.gis.gov.ge |
The Georgian Intelligence Service (GIS) (Georgian: საქართველოს დაზვერვის სამსახური, sakartvelos dazvervis samsakhuri) is a national intelligence agency of Georgia, with its headquarters in Tbilisi. The current head of the service is Davit Sujashvili, appointed in 2013.
The GIS is directly subordinated to the Prime Minister of Georgia. It is responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment and conducting counter-intelligence duties abroad.[1]
History
After the declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Georgia established its own intelligence agency, the Service for Information and Intelligence (საინფორმაციო–სადაზვერვო სამსახური), on the basis of the Soviet-era State Security Service. From 1993 to 1997, it functioned as the Chief Directorate for Foreign Intelligence (საგარეო დაზვერვის მთავარი სამმართველო) under the Ministry for State Security. On September 19, 1997, the agency was transformed into an independent State Intelligence Department (დაზვერვის სახელმწიფო დეპარტამენტი), with two regional divisions for Adjara and Abkhazia. Being briefly under the Ministry for State Security from 2004 to 2005, the agency was again made independent as the Foreign Intelligence Special Service (საგარეო დაზვერვის სპეციალური სამსახური) on January 24, 2005. The current name—Georgian Intelligence Service—was adopted in compliance with the new intelligence legislature passed in the Parliament of Georgia on April 27, 2010.[1]
Structure
The GIS consists of five principal subdivisions. These are:
- Analytical Directorate
- Information Directorate
- Security Directorate
- Administrative Directorate
- Training Center[2]
Heads of Georgian intelligence agency (1997—present)
- Avtandil Ioseliani (September 1997—February 2004)
- Valeri Chkheidze (February 2004—June 2004)
- Batu Kutelia (June 2004—October 2004)
- Anna Zhvania (October 2004—February 2008)
- Gela Bezhuashvili (February 2008—December 2013)
- Davit Sujashvili (December 2013—incumbent)[3]