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 the case as an attempt to prevent a Maidan-style insurrection. Officials insist the case is about protecting the integrity of the country.
But international reactions highlight the threat to fundamental democratic rights. U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen said providing legal aid to detained protesters is “not sabotage.” The U.S. Helsinki Commission’s Joe Wilson called for the MEGOBARI Act to be finally passed, which would level targeted sanctions against Georgian officials. Amnesty International said the government was “sabotaging the human rights of their population” and urged that “the crackdown on human rights must end.” The European Parliament’s rapporteur on Georgia, Rasa Juknevičienė, condemned what she called fraudulent charges meant to intimidate activists.
But international reactions were not uniform. Republican Georgia friend Kimberly Lowe, who earlier this year leaked a letter Trump sent to President Kavelashvili, defended the GD government, calling it “pro-America, anti-Soros, anti-Biden,” and accusing critics of fueling regime change and playing into Moscow’s hands.
