UK condemns freezing of Georgian NGOs’ bank accounts

The UK has expressed concern over the freezing of bank accounts belonging to seven Georgian non-governmental organisations, describing the move as politically motivated and damaging to civil society.

In a statement released on Friday, the British Embassy in Tbilisi said it was “deeply disturbed” by reports that the Prosecutor General’s Office had frozen the accounts as part of an investigation into alleged acts of sabotage.

“We are concerned they have been targeted as part of a politically motivated effort to silence independent voices, rather than a legitimate response to any unlawful activity,” the embassy said.

The organisations affected are involved in promoting free and fair elections, freedom of information, and providing legal assistance to citizens. They also support women and children, people with disabilities and survivors of domestic violence, the diplomatic mission said. 

The Embassy further warned that closing them down would harm ordinary Georgians and further erode democratic protections and accountability.

The embassy also highlighted a recent opinion from the Council of Europe’s Expert Council on NGO Law, which found that the implementation of new legislation in Georgia would cause “grave and unjustified damage to civil society” and contravene the country’s commitments as a Council of Europe member.

The UK called on the Georgian authorities to repeal what it described as repressive laws, end “attacks on civil society” and engage in a national dialogue with all stakeholders to resolve the political crisis.