TBILISI, October 1 – Georgia’s Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), one of the country’s most prominent civil society groups, has filed a new complaint with the Constitutional Court against the recently adopted “Law on Grants.” The organization said it is challenging Article 61 of the law, which in September gave the Anti-Corruption Bureau broad authority to … Read more
TBILISI, September 23 – Civil society and media groups in Georgia have escalated their battle against the so-called “Russian law” to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), filing several cases based on an argument that the legislation violates democratic freedoms. 16 media outlets, 120 NGOs, and four individuals filed their joint complaint on October … Read more
TBILISI, September 22 – Dozens of Georgian civil society groups say the government has begun a new wave of repression, using a controversial law on foreign funding to target their work. In a joint statement released by the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), twenty non-governmental organizations (NGOs) accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of weaponizing … Read more
TBILISI, September 8 – Georgia’s controversial ‘sabotage’ case has widened, with prosecutors freezing the bank accounts of 12 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), up from seven when the probe first began. The groups are accused of aiding last year’s post-election protests, which spiraled into street clashes in Tbilisi. Officials now say evidence shows that some NGOs purchased … Read more
TBILISI, August 28 – A number of groups in Georgia have hit back at a government decision to freeze the bank accounts of seven non-governmental organizations (NGOs), calling it a politically motivated attempt to silence dissent and drawing parallels to Russian-style repression. In a joint statement, 53 civil society and media groups declared “full support … Read more
TBILISI, August 28 – Georgia is facing international criticism after a Tbilisi court froze the bank accounts of seven major civil society groups, citing an ongoing investigation into alleged “sabotage” and material support for violent unrest. Prosecutors say the NGOs helped fund protective gear and supplies for demonstrators during last year’s clashes outside parliament, framing … Read more
TBILISI, August 27 – A Tbilisi court has ordered the freezing of bank accounts belonging to several of Georgia’s most well-known organizations, after prosecutors alleged they helped fund violent street protests. The groups targeted include the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), the Social Justice Center, Sapari, the Georgian Democratic Initiative, the Civil … Read more
TBILISI, August 15 – Six non-governmental organizations (NGOs) say they have received another warning from the country’s Anti-Corruption Bureau accusing them of breaking Georgia’s new ‘foreign agents’ law. The legislation requires certain groups receiving funding from abroad to register in a public database. Critics liken it to similar laws in Russia, arguing it is designed … Read more
TBILISI, DFWatch–Transparency International Georgia has raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest involving a local mayor and a series of state contracts worth over 7 million GEL (about 2.3 million USD). The contracts were awarded to a company owned by the father of the mayor’s former business partner and close friend. The company in question, … Read more
Tbilisi, DFWatch-Over a hundred non-governmental and media organizations declare their open disobedience to the foreign influence draft law initiated by the Georgian authorities and suspend all cooperation with the government “until the Russian Law is dropped.” In addition, as stated in the joint statement, they invite people to protest the bill on Sunday, at 19:00, … Read more