Georgian Prosecutor's Office Raids Homes of Protest-Linked Public Fund Managers
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
In the early hours of April 29, officers from the Georgian Prosecutor's Office, and reportedly in some cases from the State Security Service, carried out coordinated searches at the homes of public fund managers associated with the ongoing anti-government protests.
Journalist and media personality Nanuka Zhorzholiani was the first to report the arrival of officers at her home at 8:40 a.m. Searches were also conducted at the apartment of her daughter Mariam Geguchadze, the home of activist Mariam Bajelidze, and the residences of other fund managers. Bajelidze, who is pregnant, said the search began without allowing her legal counsel and that officers confiscated her phone and family members' laptops. Several of the searches reportedly took place in the presence of minors, and individuals were not permitted to record them.
The Prosecutor's Office later confirmed that the searches were part of an ongoing investigation launched in March. At that time, five public funds that had supported the protests, primarily by covering fines for road blockades, were frozen. Authorities said the investigation involved charges of sabotage, assisting foreign entities in hostile acts, and financing activities against Georgia's constitutional order under Articles 318, 319, and 321¹ of the Criminal Code.
The homes of Nanuka Zhorzholiani, Human Rights Center director Aleko Tskitishvili, Lasha Arveladze, Guga Khelaia, and Mariam Bajelidze were searched. The Human Rights Center has been providing legal aid to protesters.
A large police force surrounded Zhorzholiani's residence while journalists, activists, and opposition politicians gathered nearby. Police completely blocked access to the building entrance. The search lasted more than six hours.
Georgia's fifth president, Salome Zourabichvili, responded to the raids by calling them another authoritarian attempt to silence dissent and democratic voices. She said that the ruling party may be trying to instill fear, but it would only strengthen public resolve.
