EU Spokesperson: bloc urges Georgian authorities to reverse civil society bank account freeze

Anitta Hipper, Lead Spokesperson for the EU’s foreign affairs and security policy, on Friday said the European Union has urged the Georgian authorities to immediately reverse the decision to freeze the bank accounts of independent civil society organisations.

“This is another assault on fundamental rights and a weaponisation of the justice system as a tool of repression – an act of political persecution through deliberate financial suffocation, intended to silence and punish dissenting voices”, she said.

Hipper stressed civil society organisations “are not enemies of the state, but the backbone of democratic pluralism and accountability,” noting that they have long been a driving force behind Georgia’s European integration.

“Targeting these organisations contradicts fundamental democratic values and undermines the basic principles expected of a candidate country. The European Union stands firmly with Georgia’s resilient and brave civil society, which continues to serve the citizens despite growing repression by the authorities”, she added.