Bank Accounts of Seven Civil Society Organizations Frozen in Georgia

| News, Politics, Georgia

On August 27, the bank accounts of seven Georgian civil society organizations were frozen. The Tbilisi City Court granted the prosecutor's motion to freeze the organizations' accounts. They are accused of "financing" protests at the end of 2024 as part of the "sabotage case."

So far, the NGOs have not responded to the prosecutor's statement, although they generally link the persecution by the Georgian Dream government to its desire to suppress critical voices.

These organizations are:

  • "Civil Society Foundation"
  • "International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy" (ISFED)
  • "Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information" (IDFI)
  • "Defenders of Democracy"
  • "Georgian Democracy Initiative" (GDI)
  • "Safari"
  • "Center for Social Justice" (formerly EMC)

The prosecutor's office alleges that they "coordinated" the funding of protest participants last year for "violent actions against law enforcement officers." The prosecutor's office also stated that the organizations' funds were used to purchase equipment such as "special gas masks, protective goggles, face shields, face masks, pepper spray and other means, which were actively used by the protesters during violent confrontations with the police."

The prosecutor's office's statement does not mention the ongoing investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, which also includes the same NGOs under the newly passed Foreign Agents Act (FARA). The charge that led to this decision is “sabotage, attempted sabotage under aggravating circumstances, assistance to a foreign organization or an organization under foreign control in hostile activities, and mobilization of funds for activities directed against the constitutional order and the foundations of national security of Georgia.”

Based on the same prosecutor's appeal, the accounts of five charitable organizations were frozen on March 17, 2025. This happened after the “United Neutral Georgia” public movement, affiliated with “Georgian Dream,” applied to the prosecutor's office on January 18 of the same year to “cleanse the political field of spies.” The prosecutor's office's justification states that the leaders of the organizations whose accounts were seized "openly called on the public to disobey and resist," although their names are not mentioned in the statement.

The investigation also claims that the civil organizations' activities were "entirely aimed at providing financial protection to individuals involved in violent actions and their family members," although many questions remain regarding the alleged "violent cases" at the rallies. The prosecutor's office also states that the finances of these organizations "were used to pay fines in favor of lawbreakers, provide for legal costs, and resolve other personal or organizational issues." The prosecutor's office claims that the purpose of this was to "encourage individuals involved in illegal actions" and to "protect" them.

 

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