Transparency International Condemns Pressure on Civil Society in Georgia
By Liza Mchedlidze
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
Transparency International has expressed serious concern over what it describes as an escalating campaign of persecution against civil society organisations in Georgia.
In a statement released by the organisation's Berlin headquarters, Transparency International said that Eka Gigauri, Executive Director of Transparency International Georgia, was recently summoned and questioned as part of an investigation into alleged crimes against the state. According to the statement, the accusations, which include sabotage, collusion with foreign powers, and financial crimes, carry potential prison terms of up to 15 years.
The group rejected the allegations as baseless and said they were "an attempt to silence one of Georgia's leading anti-corruption watchdogs." The statement added that there is "a real risk that interrogations will soon be followed by politically motivated prosecutions of civil society leaders, including Eka Gigauri."
Transparency International linked the investigation to a wider crackdown on NGOs, pointing to new restrictions under the "Foreign Agents Law" and the recently adopted Grants Law. The organisation said these measures "criminalise legitimate NGO activity and brand independent voices as foreign agents."
The statement also noted that other organisations, including the Civil Society Foundation (CSF) and the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), have faced frozen accounts and criminal investigations. Transparency International said these actions, combined with broader measures such as media restrictions and intrusive demands for NGO data, reflect "an authoritarian strategy to weaken civil society and dismantle democratic checks on power."
François Valérian, Chair of Transparency International, called the treatment of its Georgian branch "a direct attack on democracy and the rule of law." He urged the government to halt its campaign of intimidation. "Civil society is essential to Georgia's future, not a threat to its sovereignty. We urge the authorities to end their campaign of harassment. Georgia's commitment to democracy will be judged by how it treats those who fight for accountability and integrity," Valérian said.
Transparency International called on Georgian authorities to end harassment of NGOs, safeguard freedoms of association and expression, uphold judicial independence, and respect international human rights obligations.
