A coalition of up to 30 Georgian non-governmental organizations has accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of launching a new wave of repression against civil society. The joint statement, released by the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA), claims the Anti-Corruption Bureau is targeting NGOs under the guise of enforcing restrictive legislation.
Based on the statement, since September 8, 2025, the Bureau, led by Razhden Kuprashvili, has demanded extensive information from NGOs by invoking the Law on Grants—legislation they argue is unconstitutional. Civil society groups note that the Bureau is requesting documents dating back to April 16, 2025, even though the law’s controversial amendments only came into effect on April 17.
The NGOs stress that their activities since then have not involved new or amended grant agreements, making the monitoring process illegal. They also accuse the Bureau of withholding case materials and failing to follow due legal procedures.
On September 17, the Tbilisi City Court issued an order against nine NGOs, siding fully with the Bureau’s petition. The organizations argue the court simply repeated the Bureau’s reasoning without independent examination, undermining judicial oversight and putting both civil society and citizens’ personal data at risk.
Despite what they describe as “illegally initiated monitoring,” the NGOs pledged to continue their work and legal fight against what they call repressive laws.
The statement was signed by 20 organizations, including GYLA, Rights Georgia, Human Rights Center (HRC), Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), Tolerance and Diversity Institute (TDI), Equality Movement, Civic Idea, Democracy Institute, and others.
