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 Society Foundation, and Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI). Authorities accuse them of using funds to buy equipment such as gas masks, protective eyewear, and pepper spray for protesters during last year’s clashes outside parliament.
According to prosecutors, demonstrations in 2024 escalated into violence, with Molotov cocktails thrown at police, property destroyed, and dozens of officers injured. They argue that NGOs provided not only material support but also paid fines and legal expenses for detained activists, which the government says encouraged further unrest.
The NGOs reject such accusations, saying they are politically motivated and aimed at silencing critical voices ahead of local elections in October. Civil society activists note that the groups under investigation are among Georgia’s most established watchdogs, long supported by Western donors. One of the targeted groups, Sapari, issued a statement in response.
“Safari has been working for 24 years to protect the rights of women and girls, combat gender violence and promote equality. We are proud that we have helped thousands of women and children over these years, helping them stop violence, restore justice and generally survive. Our work has always been aimed at empowering women socially, economically, and politically. The information spread by the Prosecutor’s Office that Safari’s funds were used to organize violent actions and purchase equipment is completely unfounded and slanderous. There is not a single piece of evidence against us. This decision once again demonstrates the intensification of Russian-style repression against Georgian non-governmental organizations, which aims to suppress critical voices and destroy civil society,” the group’s statement said.
The court ruling will block the organizations from accessing funds, which raises concern among observers that Georgia’s ruling party is tightening control over dissent and undermining democracy.
