Non-governmental organizations have filed a lawsuit with the Tbilisi City Court against the Anti-Corruption Bureau, demanding that the May 31 order issued by Bureau head Razhden Kuprashvili be annulled. The order serves as the basis for the ongoing investigation against them.
At a joint briefing, Giorgi Burjanadze, legal advisor to the Civil Society Foundation, stated that by this order, Kuprashvili effectively granted himself and the Bureau powers that go beyond those outlined in the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
“Under the order, he can launch investigations, conduct inspections, and petition the court to seize organizations that he believes should not be included in the relevant registry. None of these powers are set out in the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and they were introduced without proper legislative authority. This restricts the rights of organizations working in the public interest, as we are being subjected to measures adopted in violation of both the law and the Constitution,” Burjanadze said.
The NGOs say their position is supported by the legal opinion of the Council of Europe’s Special Expert Council (Conference of INGOs), published yesterday. Burjanadze noted that the Council concluded the Foreign Agents Registration Act violates fundamental rights, including freedom of association, freedom of expression, and the right to privacy, pointing to vague provisions that allow for broad restrictions on human rights.
“The opinion also outlines eight additional grounds on which the law breaches human rights, among them the severity of sanctions. In fact, the penalties prescribed by the Georgian law exceed those in the Russian Federation’s legislation—already deemed by the European Court of Human Rights to be incompatible with human rights.
We will use every legal mechanism available to resist these repressive laws and safeguard our ability to continue work that benefits the Georgian people and the state,” Burjanadze declared.
