Georgia’s Anti-Corruption Bureau Chief claims NGO investigations comply with law

Head of Georgia’s Anti-Corruption Bureau, Razhden Kuprashvili, defended the bureau’s recent demands for documentation from several prominent NGOs, stating the requests are in full compliance with the law and aimed solely at investigating the transparency of grant-funded political activity.

Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, Kuprashvili rejected what he called “deliberately misleading” claims from five NGOs under investigation, which alleged the Bureau was unlawfully seeking sensitive personal data. “The legal and financial documents we have requested do not exceed the scope of our legal authority,” Kuprashvili said. “Our goal is to examine the purposefulness of activities by grant-receiving or politically active organizations. Full protection of professional and personal data is guaranteed under the law.”

The controversy centers around enforcing a new grant transparency law, which. as NGOs say, opens the door to political repression. According to Kuprashvili, the Bureau is targeting organizations suspected of engaging in undeclared political activities. “We aim to identify groups whose actions do not align with their declared objectives,” he said. “Our mission is to provide Georgian citizens with accurate information about political actors to support informed democratic choices.”

Kuprashvili did not reveal how the specific NGOs were selected for scrutiny but cited general criteria involving mismatches between declared and actual activities.

He also announced the Bureau would maintain “direct communication” with international organizations and accredited diplomats to ensure transparency and accountability regarding the process. “We intend to expose organizations and individuals engaged in covert political work,” he added.

The NGOs at the center of the investigation held a joint press conference on Wednesday, accusing the government of using Kuprashvili’s Bureau and Georgia’s judiciary to persecute civil society under the guise of transparency. They alleged the authorities were demanding confidential data—including names, personal ID numbers, financial records, and even health information—about vulnerable individuals receiving legal and social support.

“This is a politically motivated campaign to dismantle civil society,” the statement read. “We will not betray the trust of those we protect, even if that results in prosecution or imprisonment.”

The NGOs vowed to resist the Bureau’s orders through every available legal avenue, accusing the ruling Georgian Dream party and its founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili, of orchestrating an authoritarian shift modeled on Russia and Belarus.