The Tbilisi City Court has reportedly authorized the Anti-Corruption Bureau to access the personal data – bank account information, of the founders of the newly launched “Vote for Europe” movement and the organization itself. The movement’s lawyer, Kakha Kozhoridze, said on September 13 that the court decision is “absolutely unlawful,” adding that it will be appealed in the Tbilisi Court of Appeals.
President Salome Zurabishvili inaugurated the movement on July 11, bringing civil society representatives together to “protect Georgia’s European future, independence, and freedom.” Back then the movement said it’ planned ‘s mission is to reach Georgian citizens countrywide and the diaspora abroad with the “100 Days to Victory” campaign starting on July 18 and ending on election day, October 26. The campaign aims to mobilize pro-Western voters.
Kozhoridze argues that the Georgian legislation allows the Bureau to access such personal information only if a person it is investigating has a stated electoral purpose. Citing the law, lawyer Kozhoridze stresses that the movement and the individuals and movement in question cannot be considered to have a stated electoral purpose, as they do not participate in elections or seek power.
“What we are saying is that the law that regulates these matters, including the activities of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, says something very simple, that the Anti-Corruption Bureau can access the information of this or that person, only if this person is an entity with a stated electoral purpose. We ask a very simple question, are these individuals, for example, Nikoloz Shurghaia, Iva Chkonia [founders of the movement] or the organization “Vote for Europe” entities with a state electoral purpose?” Kozhoridze said.
According to him, “The answer to this question is in the law itself, which says that a person can have a declared electoral goal if he/she has declared about participating in the elections and coming to power. Nowhere have “Vote for Europe” and individuals made a statement about coming to power…Even if they made such a statement, we know that this elections …fully proportional. How can individuals participate in proportional elections? It is unimaginable.”
“In May, the lawmakers amended the law On Political Associations of Citizens which makes it a stronger lever than the Russian law and, frankly, the North Korean law. With this law, Georgia is moving towards a full-fledged dictatorship. Therefore, it is our direct constitutional right and duty to fight for the protection of our citizens,” said Khatuna Lagazidze, one of the founders of the movement.
At the September 13 press conference, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said that these changes were made under the UNM administration before 2012 and have been in effect since then.
He also defended the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s action, saying it “should have an opportunity to properly investigate all the information that may be connected to the illegal funding of the [political] parties.”
He also claimed that the “Vote for Europe” movement is “directly conducting agitation for the voters to support the collective UNM, the four parties,” referring to the UNM-led Unity to Save Georgia, the Strong Georgia coalition, the Coalition for Change and the For Georgia opposition party. He added that the movement wants the return of “the collective UNM” to the government.
The Prime Minister noted that “there are signs of illegal funding of the elections, but it will be determined by the relevant body.”
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