Georgia: Bank accounts of several human rights organisations frozen

Obstacles to freedom of assembly

and association

Georgia

28 March 2025

The Observatory has been informed about the freezing of the bank accounts of two human rights organisations, the Human Rights House Tbilisi, one of the key regional actors providing support to human rights defenders and their organisations at risk, and Shame Movement, a pro-democracy movement campaigning for human rights, free and fair elections and judicial reforms in Georgia. Three other civil society organisations, Nanuka’s Fund, Prosperity Georgia and Fund for Each Other 24/7, also saw their accounts frozen.

On 17 March 2025, the Office of Georgia’s Prosecutor General issued a statement in which it confirmed that Human Rights House Tbilisi and Shame Movement -along with three other civil society organisations, namely Nanuka’s Fund, Prosperity Georgia and Fund for Each Other 24/7-had their bank accounts frozen. The Prosecutor’s office accused the organisations of financially supporting and advocating for violent protests. Protests erupted throughout Georgia in November 2024 following the government’s announcement to suspend the negotiations over Georgia’s accession to the European Union, which came shortly after the re-election of the ruling Georgia Dream party in an unfair election. While the protests remained overwhelmingly peaceful, the police used water cannons, tear gas, and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds, as well as excessive force and mistreatment during transportation, resulting in numerous injuries to protesters and over 480 arbitrary arrests, amounting to inhuman treatment and, possibly, torture.

In its statement, the Office of Georgia’s Prosecutor General announced that it has been carrying out an investigation into acts of “sabotage”, “foreign aiding and abetting hostile activities”, as well as “mobilisation of funds for activities aimed against the constitutional order and the foundations of national security of Georgia”, envisioned by Articles 318 (part 1 and part 2(a)), 319 (part 2), and 321 (part 1) of the Criminal Code of Georgia.

The organisations, which had been providing crucial financial support to arbitrarily detained protesters, helping them with payments of administrative fines and legal assistance and representation as well as with medical and psychological support, reported that they did not receive any preliminary alert or notification from the authorities about the order to freeze their accounts, nor were they informed that their organisations were part of a criminal investigation. They were only informed by their banks that the Tbilisi City Court had issued an urgent injunction to freeze their accounts. The freezing of their accounts is also affecting salary payments, office rents and the ability of the organisations to conduct all kinds of operations.

The Observatory recalls that since April 2024, the Georgian Dream Party has intensified its crackdown on civil society and all dissenting voices, notably by introducing legislation aimed at restricting human rights and civic space -including the adoption in May 2024 of the “Transparency of Foreign Influence” law, which bears striking resemblance to the Russian so called “Foreign Agent Law” and equipped the government with tools to suppress civil society and independent media. Amid the widespread violence that characterized the repression of peaceful manifestations against this law, many protesters, human rights defenders and journalists were physically assaulted, including by law enforcement officers. Following the elections, the Georgian Dream Party eventually announced the suspension of negotiations for accession to the EU, which led to a new wave of protests that are still ongoing as of March 2025. The arrest, in January 2025, and continued arbitrary detention of journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, the founder of independent media outlet Batumelebi/Netgazeti, are also highlighting alarming threats to media freedom, human rights and the rule of law in the country.

The Observatory condemns the freezing of the banks accounts of the Human Rights House Tbilisi and Shame Movement, as it seems to be only aimed at punishing them for their legitimate human rights activities in support of victims of police brutality and arbitrary detentions, and as it clearly undermines the exercise of freedom of assembly and association in the country.

The Observatory calls on the Georgian authorities to immediately and unconditionally revoke the freezing of the banks accounts of Human Rights House Tbilisi, Shame Movement and other civil society organisations, and respect in all circumstances the internationally recognised rights to freedom of association and peaceful assembly.

Actions requested:

Please write to the authorities of Georgia asking them to:

• Guarantee in all circumstances the physical integrity and psychological integrity and well-being of all human rights defenders in Georgia;
• Immediately and unconditionally revoke the freezing of the bank accounts of Human Rights House Tbilisi, Shame Movement, as well as civil society organisations Nanuka’s Fund, Prosperity Georgia and Fund for Each Other 24/7;
• Put an end to all acts of harassment – including judicial harassment – against Human Rights House Tbilisi, Shame Movement and all human rights defenders and organisations in Georgia; and
• Respect in all circumstances the right to freedom of assembly and association, as enshrined in Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. .

Addresses:

• Mr. Irakli Kobakhidze, Prime Minister of Georgia. E-mail: info@gov.ge.Twitter: @GovernmentGeo

• Mr. Vakhtang Gomelauri, Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia. E-mail: police@mia.gov.ge. Twitter: @MiaofGeorgia

• Mr. Giorgi Gabitashvili, Chief Prosecutor of Georgia. E-mail: presscenter@pog.gov.ge. Twitter: @OfficialPOG)

• Mr. Shalva Papuashvili, Chair of Parliament of Georgia. E-mail: contact@parliament.ge Twitter: @Geoparliament

• Mr. Levan Ioseliani, Public Defender (Ombudsman) of Georgia. E-mail: info@ombudsman.ge

• Permanent Mission of Georgia to the United Nations in Geneva. E-mail: geomission.geneva@mfa.gov.ge

• Embassy of Georgia to Belgium, Luxembourg and Mission of Georgia to the European Union. E-mail: eomission.eu@mfa.gov.ge. Twitter: @GEOmissionEU

Please also write to the diplomatic representations of Georgia in your respective countries.

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Paris-Geneva, 28 March 2025

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 by FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). The objective of this programme is to prevent or remedy situations of repression against human rights defenders. FIDH and OMCT are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented by international civil society.

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