Georgian activist launches UK-based fund to support protesters

Georgian civil activist Davit Jincharadze has announced the launch of a donation fund, named Freedom Fund, through a British bank account to support anti-government protesters. The account, which accepts contributions in both pounds and euros, is intended to avoid seizure by Georgian authorities.

“In Georgia, when homes are raided and the accounts of local funds are frozen, we must respond with more determination to remove [Bidzina] Ivanishvili,” Jincharadze wrote on Facebook. “This fund will assist citizens in covering fines imposed for protesting. It cannot be frozen, because the account is in the UK.”

The announcement comes shortly after the prosecutors raided the homes of several NGO leaders and seized computers and other devices, just weeks after freezing their organizational bank accounts.

Jincharadze also stated that the next step is to form a trusted group of volunteers who will work on mobilizing funds and developing a transparent online system for donations.

“I’m open to any support and collaboration. Fire to the oligarchy!” he declared.