The Special State Protection Service of Georgia (SSPS) ( [სდსს], sakartvelos sakhelmtsipo datsvis spetsialuri samsakhuri) is a militarized government agency of Georgia

Georgia (country)

Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...

 tasked with the protection of several, mandated by the relevant law, high-ranking state officials, including the President of Georgia

President of Georgia

The President of Georgia is the head of state, supreme commander-in-chief and holder of the highest office within the Government of Georgia. Executive power is split between the President and the Prime Minister, who is the head of government...

, as well as certain national properties, high-ranking foreign visitors and diplomatic offices. It is directly subordinated to the President of Georgia.

History

The predecessor of the Special State Protection Service was the Government Protective Service of the Republic of Georgia (საქართველოს რესპუბლიკის სამთავრობო დაცვის სამსახური) formed on June 23 1994 on the basis of the Government Protective Directorate of the Ministry of State Security of Georgia. On February 20, 1996 the agency adopted the current name in line with the "Law of Georgia on Special State Protection Service".

In 1998, the SSPS was further tasked with providing security to the ongoing energy projects in Georgia, such as the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline. This function was transferred to the Main Division for Protection of Strategic Pipelines of the Ministry of Internal Affairs

Ministry of Internal Affairs (Georgia)

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia is a state law enforcement agency of the Republic of Georgia.As of 2011 Vano Merabishvili is the minister...

 on January 1, 2006.

The agency has lost 7 personnel in the line of duty. Of these, two were killed in the attack on the then-President Eduard Shevardnadze

Eduard Shevardnadze

Eduard Shevardnadze is a former Soviet, and later, Georgian statesman from the height to the end of the Cold War. He served as President of Georgia from 1995 to 2003, and as First Secretary of the Georgian Communist Party , from 1972 to 1985. Shevardnadze was responsible for many top decisions on...

's motorcade in Tbilisi

Tbilisi

Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari River. The name is derived from an early Georgian form T'pilisi and it was officially known as Tiflis until 1936...

 on February 9, 1998.

Heads of the service

• Lieutenant-General Vakhtang Kutateladze, 1994—1998
• Lieutenant-General Sulkhan Papashvili, 1998—2003
• Major-General Giorgi Aleksidze, 2003—2004
• Lieutenant-General Otar Kvelidze, 2004—2010
• Major-General Teimuraz Janashia, 2010—incumbent

Functions

The Special State Protection Service provides security to:

• the leading officials from executive, legislative and judiciary bodies of Georgia,
• the buildings, structures and the adjoining territories belonging to the government of Georgia,
• the visiting high-ranking foreign officials, representatives of the international organisations, and other important persons
  Very Important Person
  A Very Important Person, or VIP is a person who is accorded special privileges due to his or her status or importance.Examples include celebrities, heads of state/heads of government, major employers, high rollers, politicians, high-level corporate officers, wealthy individuals, or any other...
  
  ,
• the places, temporary or permanent, where the Georgian government or officials reside.

The persons subjected to protection are:

• President of Georgia
  President of Georgia
  The President of Georgia is the head of state, supreme commander-in-chief and holder of the highest office within the Government of Georgia. Executive power is split between the President and the Prime Minister, who is the head of government...
  
  
• Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia
  Parliament of Georgia
  Parliament of Georgia is the supreme legislature of Georgia. It is unicameral and has 150 members, known as deputies, from which 75 members are proportional representatives and 75 are elected through single-member district plurality system, representing their constituencies...
  
  
• Prime Minister of Georgia
  Prime Minister of Georgia
  The Prime Minister of Georgia is the most senior minister within the Cabinet of Georgia, appointed by the President of Georgia. The official title of the Head of the Government of Georgia has varied throughout history, however, the duties and functions of the leader have changed only marginally....
  
  
• Chairperson of the Constitutional Court of Georgia
  Constitutional Court of Georgia
  The Constitutional Court of Georgia is the judicial body of constitutional review, having the greatest significance with the view of securing constitutional provisions and separation of powers, and protecting human rights and freedoms....
  
  
• Chairperson of the Supreme Court of Georgia
• Catholicos-Patriarch
  Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia
  Catholicos–Patriarch has been the title of the heads of the Georgian Orthodox Church since 1010. The first Catholicos–Patriarch of All Georgia was Melkisedek I...
  
   of the Georgian Orthodox Church
• Minister of Justice of Georgia
  Ministry of Justice (Georgia)
  The Ministry of Justice of Georgia is a governmental agency within the Cabinet of Georgia in charge of regulating activities in the justice system, overseeing the public prosecutor, maintaining the legal system and public order, protection of the public and instituting law reforms in Georgia...
  
  
• Heads of the supreme legislative and executive authority of Abkhazia
  Abkhazia
  Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
  
   and Adjara
  Adjara
  Adjara , officially the Autonomous Republic of Adjara , is an autonomous republic of Georgia.Adjara is located in the southwestern corner of Georgia, bordered by Turkey to the south and the eastern end of the Black Sea...
  
  
• Head of Administration of the President of Georgia
• Permanent members of the National Security Council of Georgia
  National Security Council of Georgia
  The National Security Council of Georgia is an advisory body for the President of Georgia dealing with matters of national security. The current Secretary of the National Security Council of Georgia is Giga Bokeria.-Legal authority:...
  
  
• Heads of foreign states, visiting Georgia
• Candidates for Presidency of Georgia during pre-election campaign and elections.

By decision of the President of Georgia, personal security may by provided to:

• Deputy Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia, members of the Parliament, members of the Government
  Cabinet of Georgia
  The Cabinet of Georgia is an executive council of government ministers in Georgia. It is headed by the Prime Minister of Georgia. In the cases of utmost importance, the meetings may be led by the President of Georgia . The first Cabinet of Georgia was formed by Noe Zhordania in the Democratic...
  
  , other high-ranking officials as well as their family members if the evidence suggests threat to their lives and health;
• Highest-ranking foreign officials and representatives of international organizations;
• Heads of diplomatic missions to Georgia;
• Family members of former high-ranking officials as mandated by a special law.