August 29, 2025 - The South Caucasus News - SouthCaucasusNews.com

On August 27, Georgian authorities froze the bank accounts of seven civil society organizations as part of a “sabotage” investigation, alleging they funded rally participants “who committed violent acts against law enforcement” during the 2024 protests. The Prosecutor’s Office cited their purchases of protective equipment, including gas helmets, goggles, medical masks, face-covering masks, and pepper spray.

The affected organizations include the Civil Society Foundation (CSF), the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), Democracy Defenders, Georgian Democracy Initiative (GDI), Sapari, and the Social Justice Center (SJC). The groups condemned the decision, calling it “harmful to the interests of the Georgian people” and “yet another unlawful act by Ivanishvili’s government, undermining fundamental human rights and sabotaging EU integration.” The groups vowed to continue their work.

The decision also sparked international condemnations:

Joe Wilson, U.S. Representative, co-chair of the Helsinki Commission: “The anti-American Georgian Dream regime is cracking down further on free Georgians for trying to prevent the total takeover of their country by Communist China. MEGOBARI needed immediately!”

Jeanne Shaheen, U.S. Senator: “Providing legal aid to protestors detained by the Georgian Dream government is not a crime. Nor is it ‘sabotage against the state.’ I continue to stand with the Georgian people and members of civil society who seek to preserve Georgia’s democracy.”

Rasa Juknevičienė, MEP: Georgian Dream escalates its crackdown on peaceful protesters. Tbilisi City Court froze bank accounts of 7 CSOs under a bogus “sabotage” probe for giving protesters basic protective gear. The European Parliament has set out how EU should respond. We cannot let Georgia slip into oblivion.”

Norway MFA: “The freezing of bank accounts of 7 more civil society organisations is yet another step in the dismantling of democracy in Georgia and a severe blow to all citizens benefitting from the important work performed by these CSOs.”

British Embassy in Georgia: The UK is deeply disturbed by reports that the Prosecutor General’s Office has frozen the accounts of seven NGOs as part of an investigation into alleged acts of sabotage. We are concerned they have been targeted as part of a politically motivated effort to silence independent voices, rather than a legitimate response to any unlawful activity. Activities of the NGOs in question include promoting free and fair elections and freedom of information; providing legal assistance to Georgian citizens; and supporting women and children, people with disabilities and survivors of domestic violence. Closing them down will harm the Georgian people and further erode democratic protections and accountability in Georgia. […] We call on the Georgian authorities to repeal repressive legislation, end its attacks on civil society, and engage in a national dialogue with all stakeholders to find a way out of the current crisis.

Amnesty International: “The space is shrinking in Georgia for civil society. Authorities have frozen the accounts of 7 NGOs and opened a criminal case for “sabotage,” alleging they funded protective gear for protesters. Unlike previous cases, this could lead to the arrest of the NGO’s leaders. By branding independent NGOs as “saboteurs,” the authorities are hampering their work and sending a chilling message to others who defend human rights in the country. By undermining the work of human rights defenders and civil society actors, Georgian authorities are themselves sabotaging the human rights of their population. This crackdown on human rights must end”.

Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors: “The Global Network for Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM) once again condemns the continued efforts by the Georgian government to close civic space, limit basic freedoms and undermine the activities of citizen observers. Most recently, at the request of the Prosecutor’s Office, a Tbilisi City Court judge froze bank accounts of at least seven non-governmental organizations, including GNDEM member and citizen observation organization the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED). The actions of the Prosecutor’s Office are retribution against civil society over public protests started after the Georgian government’s decision to halt the EU accession talks following the contested 2024 parliamentary elections. The actions of the Prosecutor’s Office, like other actions of the Georgian government, limits legitimate public discourse and undermine independent civic organizations in violation of Articles 17 and 22 of the Georgian Constitution that protected the rights of citizens to hold opinions and freedom of association, respectively. These actions are also in contravention of Articles 19 and 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Articles 19 and 22 of the International Convent on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Georgia is a signatory.”

European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE): “This attack on fundamental rights demands an immediate, forceful, and public European response. The asset freeze goes far beyond judicial harassment. Organizations such as ISFED have long promoted election integrity and defended citizens’ rights in Georgia. The objective of the Georgian authorities is clear: to remove independent voices that hold those in power accountable, especially in light of the upcoming local elections scheduled for 4 October 2025.”

More to follow…

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