14:52, 30 August 2025

The European Union has called on the Georgian authorities to unblock the accounts of NGOs

The Georgian authorities must immediately unfreeze the accounts of seven NGOs arrested as part of an investigation into sabotage against statehood, the European Union said.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", the prosecutor's office accused seven NGOs of financing protests in Georgia in 2024 and seized their accounts. The organization "Sapari" called the statement that the organization's finances were used to organize violent actions and purchase equipment for this purpose groundless and slanderous. Non-governmental organizations filed a lawsuit against the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

On May 31, the Law on Registration of Foreign Agents came into force in Georgia - an analogue of the American FARA (Foreign Agents Registration Act), designed to replace the less strict Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence. Unlike the previous version, the new law applies to both organizations and individuals, and failure to comply with it entails not only large fines, but also imprisonment for up to 5 years. The implementation of the law has been entrusted to the Anti-Corruption Bureau of Georgia.

The European Union has called on the Georgian authorities to immediately unfreeze the accounts of seven non-governmental organizations arrested as part of an investigation into sabotage against statehood. The statement was released on Friday by the European External Action Service.

"The European Union calls on the Georgian authorities to immediately reverse the decision to freeze the bank accounts of independent civil society organizations," the statement was quoted by the Georgian News agency.

"Civil society organizations are not enemies of the state, but the pillars of democratic pluralism and accountability. For many years, Georgia's vibrant civil society has been the driving force behind the country's European integration, bringing tangible benefits to its citizens. Targeting these organizations runs counter to fundamental democratic values and undermines the basic principles expected of a candidate country. The EU firmly supports Georgia's resilient and courageous civil society, which, despite increasing government repression, continues to serve its citizens," InterPressNews quoted EU Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Anita Hipper.

The "Caucasian Knot" collected materials about the parliamentary elections and the protests that followed them on the page "Elections in Georgia-2024".

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Translated automatically via Google translate from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/414985