Tbilisi Court Freezes Bank Accounts of NGOs Amid Allegations of 'Financing Violent Protests'
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, August 28, 2025
The Tbilisi City Court has granted a motion by the Prosecutor's Office to freeze the bank accounts of several leading civil society organizations, a move prosecutors say is linked to an ongoing investigation into sabotage, attempted sabotage, and assistance to foreign-controlled groups engaged in hostile activities.
The decision affects the Civil Society Foundation, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information, the Defenders of Democracy, the Georgian Democratic Initiative, Safari, and the Social Justice Center. The ruling, issued on August 27, restricts the organizations' ability to access or use their funds.
In its statement, the Prosecutor's Office alleged that the groups misused funds to support violent protests that unfolded across Georgia in 2024. According to prosecutors, demonstrations that began as peaceful rallies escalated into organized clashes. "Calls by leaders of opposition parties and heads of certain non-governmental organizations for mass disobedience and general resistance gradually turned the protests into confrontations with the police forces, which were of a deliberate nature," the statement said.
Authorities claim the protests quickly took on a violent character. Law enforcement reported dozens of officers injured, while protest groups allegedly used pyrotechnics, incendiary substances, and Molotov cocktails. Prosecutors said the parliament building was set on fire, causing significant damage, while police equipment and private property along Rustaveli Avenue were also destroyed.
The investigation further alleges that demonstrators were supplied with specialized gear, including gas masks, helmets, face shields, batons, pepper spray, and other equipment, enabling them to sustain confrontations with security forces. "The equipping of the participants of the demonstration carrying out violent actions against law enforcement officers with special means was carried out in a coordinated manner, including with the funds of non-governmental organizations," the statement noted.
Officials also accused NGO leaders of directly encouraging unrest. The Prosecutor's Office claimed that beyond purchasing equipment, the groups provided financial protection for protesters, including paying fines, covering legal defense costs, and supporting families of detained participants. "The purpose of the actions taken was, on the one hand, to encourage individuals involved in illegal acts, and, on the other hand, to protect individuals involved in these acts. Ultimately, the coordinated action was to weaken law enforcement agencies and disrupt their normal functioning," the statement said.
The Prosecutor's Office argues that by using funds in ways that exceeded their organizational charters, the NGOs engaged in activities contrary to the law and harmful to national security. The freezing of accounts, prosecutors said, was necessary to prevent further misuse of resources.
"We will periodically provide the public with information about the progress and results of the investigation," the statement concluded.
