The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) has urged the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the court to adhere to legal requirements and principles in their operations. Nona Kurdovanidze, the chairwoman of GYLA, on Monday emphasized the importance of conducting activities with proper justification and assessing the risks of disproportionately restricting individuals’ basic rights during monitoring.
Kurdovanidze highlighted changes in 2024 legislation that granted the Anti-Corruption Bureau the authority to request information from any person for monitoring the financial activities of political parties, electoral entities, or individuals with declared electoral goals. The goal of these changes was to minimize the risk of arbitrary decisions by the bureau.
She specifically addressed a recent case involving the Vote for Europe movement, in which the Anti-Corruption Bureau filed a petition on September 6, 2024, with the Tbilisi City Court. The bureau sought information on the organization’s transactions and assets, as well as the bank accounts of its founders. The court approved the request on the same day.
GYLA reviewed the petition and court order, finding “several concerning issues”. Kurdovanidze expressed doubts about whether the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s mandate applied to monitoring the financial activities of the organization. Additionally, she questioned the justification for the scope of the requested information, which seemed “disproportionate” to the purpose of the investigation.
Kurdovanidze further noted that, given the bureau’s “lack of institutional independence”, its decisions could appear “arbitrary and undermine public trust” in the institution. She stressed the importance of the court acting as a balancing force and protecting rights through “fair and impartial proceedings”. However, she criticized the first-instance court for “failing” to provide answers to key questions in this case.
GYLA continues to call on the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the court to ensure their actions are legally justified and respect individuals’ fundamental rights.
