Tbilisi City Court this week approved a motion by the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia to freeze the bank accounts of seven major non-governmental organizations (NGOs), sparking widespread outrage among civil society actors and legal experts, who warn that the government is intensifying a campaign of repression against dissenting voices.
The targeted organizations include: the Civil Society Foundation, International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), Defenders of Democracy, Georgian Democratic Initiative (GDI), Center for Social Justice, and the Union Safari.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the action is part of a sweeping investigation into alleged acts of sabotage, collaboration with hostile foreign-controlled entities, and the funding of activities aimed at undermining Georgia’s constitutional order and national security. The charges fall under three of the most serious provisions in the Georgian Criminal Code—Articles 318, 319, and 321 Prima—which carry potential sentences of up to 20 years or life imprisonment.
Officials claim the organizations provided material support during the 2024 protests, which escalated into violent clashes with law enforcement. Protesters were allegedly supplied with gas masks, batons, and helmets—purchased with NGO funds—and NGOs are further accused of encouraging resistance and financing legal defenses for arrested demonstrators.
The freeze has been met with unified condemnation from NGO leaders, activists, and legal professionals, who see the charges as politically motivated and designed to dismantle civil society.
Vakhushti Menabde, a constitutional law expert and member of the Social Democracy Movement, said the government is no longer simply persecuting critics—it is engaging in “full-scale repression.”
“This isn’t about agents, grants, or registration laws anymore. The state is now invoking the gravest criminal statutes—treason, sabotage, and aiding foreign hostile organizations,” Menabde wrote on social media. “This represents a turning point. Sentences range from 7 years to life. The regime is taking legal warfare to an unprecedented level.”
The move has also drawn criticism from international observers. US Senator Gene Shaheen, a long-time supporter of Georgia’s democratic development, condemned the charges and account freezes in a public statement.
“Providing legal assistance to protesters detained by the Georgian Dream government is not a crime—nor is it sabotage against the state,” she said.
Senator Shaheen expressed solidarity with Georgian civil society and emphasized the importance of protecting democratic institutions: “I continue to stand with the Georgian people and members of civil society who are trying to preserve Georgia’s democracy.”
Safari Union Rejects “Slanderous” Accusations
Among the groups targeted, Union Safari—an organization with a 24-year record of supporting women and girls—issued a strongly worded statement rejecting the state’s claims as “completely unfounded and slanderous.”
“The information spread by the Prosecutor’s Office that Safari’s finances were used to organize violent acts and purchase equipment is entirely baseless,” the organization said. “There is not a single piece of evidence against us.”
Safari emphasized that its mission has always centered on combating gender-based violence and advancing equality.
“We are proud to have helped thousands of women and children escape violence, seek justice, and rebuild their lives. The freeze on our accounts is not just an attack on us—it’s an attack on the very idea of dignity and human rights.”
Calling on the government to “stop Russian-style repression against its own people,” Safari also appealed to the international community to respond to what it called an “unprecedented attack on civil society.” Despite the seizure, the organization vowed to continue providing voluntary support to victims of violence and called on those in need to reach out:
“Safari is a team of freedom-loving patriots, and we will continue to serve the people of Georgia as long as we can.”
Legal Experts Warn of Authoritarian Shift
Tamta Mikeladze, Director of the Equality Policy Program at the Center for Social Justice, described the freeze as part of a “systematic and organized attack” by the ruling Georgian Dream party against independent civic institutions.
“They are using Russian-style authoritarian laws to make it impossible for NGOs to operate,” she said. “We represent over 60 victims of torture and abuse before international courts and defend dismissed civil servants who believe in Georgia’s European future. That’s why we’re being targeted.”
Mikeladze warned that the charges are not only unlawful, but politically engineered to silence accountability:
“If there’s any sabotage happening, it’s coming from within the government—against the constitution, civil society, and democratic values.”
Keti Khutsishvili, Executive Director of the Open Society Georgia Foundation, added that the court ruling was delivered without concrete evidence and based solely on “template legal quotes.”
“This is an attempt to halt our work, to dismantle human rights protections, and to derail Georgia’s path toward European integration,” she said.
In a joint statement, the affected NGOs vowed to resist the crackdown and continue their advocacy:
“We will not be intimidated by seizures, repression, or threats. We will keep defending the rights of the vulnerable, exposing injustice, and supporting Georgia’s European and democratic future through all legal means.”
Background and Outlook
The Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and that further actions may follow. The charges include:
Article 318: Sabotage – up to 20 years or life imprisonment in aggravated cases
Article 319: Collaboration with foreign-controlled hostile entities – 7 to 15 years
Article 321 Prima: Financing actions against the constitutional order – up to 20 years
Legal experts and watchdogs warn that the invocation of these charges could signal the beginning of a broader campaign against critical organizations, especially those involved in advocacy, transparency, human rights, and electoral integrity.
By Team GT
