Georgian authorities on Transparency International
Georgia’s Anti-Corruption Bureau has classified the local branch of the international organization Transparency International (TI-Georgia) and the civic movement Choose Europe as “entities with declared electoral goals”.
TI-Georgia’s director, Eka Gigauri, and the founder of the Choose Europe movement, Khatuna Lagazidze, have also been given the same designation personally. This means they will be subject to restrictions under the law on “Political Associations of Citizens.”
Razhden Kuprashvili, the head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, stated that the organizations and their leaders must submit financial reports for the relevant reporting period within five days. They are also required to disclose their bank account details used for income and expenses related to what he says are their electoral activities.
Kuprashvili indicated that a monitoring has revealed that Transparency International-Georgia and its executive director, Eka Gigauri, are “actively participating in the election campaign both directly and through the ‘My Vote for the European Union’ campaign,” which he said aims to support specific political parties while discouraging support for others.
“Statements are being made to mobilize various material and immaterial resources. Meetings with the public are being held, and special groups are being created on social media to shape specific political sentiments. A specially created website, an app, and both local and international media are being actively utilized,” said Kuprashvili.
He also asserted that the “Choose Europe” movement, its director Khatuna Lagazidze, and board members are actively involved in electoral processes that either support or withdraw support from specific political parties.
“Human and material resources have been deployed for this purpose, including presentations, regional public meetings, concerts, and the production and distribution of video clips, with financial expenditures exceeding 100,000 lari (about $37,000). These resources are aimed at fostering specific political sentiments among the population and influencing their opinions ahead of the elections.”
“No factual or legal basis”
In response, Transparency International-Georgia has released a statement describing the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s decision as unfounded and aimed at persecuting monitoring organizations. TI-Georgia maintains that the Bureau’s decision lacks both factual and legal grounding.
“Transparency International-Georgia and Eka Gigauri have remained committed to Georgia’s European choice, which has been articulated in all public statements. This choice is enshrined in the Constitution of Georgia and aligns with the aspirations of the overwhelming majority of the population.
We operate within the framework of the Constitution of Georgia and will await to receive the Bureau’s decision before taking appropriate legal action,” the organization stated.
“A new persecutor”
Lawyer Guram Imnadze characterized the actions of the Anti-Corruption Bureau as a “new level of legal arbitrariness.”
“This decision does not align with the standards of the rule of law; rather, it undermines fundamental legal principles through formal norms and procedural arguments.”
Imnadze noted that the Anti-Corruption Bureau was established in March 2023 and emphasized that “a government with openly authoritarian intentions and an anti-democratic agenda should not be tasked with creating a new service.”
“First and foremost, excessive and unchecked political power must be balanced; otherwise, any new service established by a political force with such power will, at best, create the illusion of democratic control, and at worst, become a new instrument of authoritarianism. The Anti-Corruption Bureau has become a new persecutor of civil groups ahead of the elections.
If we look back at the creation of the Anti-Corruption Bureau in March 2023, it’s clear that expecting a government with authoritarian intentions and an anti-democratic agenda to create an independent service is unrealistic.
The real issue is unchecked political power, which needs to be balanced.
Otherwise, any new service created by such a government will either give the illusion of democratic control or become a tool for more authoritarian actions.
It is like how the Anti-Corruption Bureau is now targeting civil groups before the elections.“
Georgian authorities on Transparency International