Bank accounts of several Georgian NGOs frozen amid ‘sabotage’ investigation

Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday said several non-governmental organisations had had their bank accounts frozen as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged sabotage and attempts to undermine the country’s constitutional order.

The PoG said Tbilisi City Court had approved their request to seize the funds of a number of NGOs accused of providing financial and logistical support to “violent protests” that escalated across the country in 2024, following the government’s move to delay the country’s EU integration until 2028. 

The PoG claimed demonstrations that began outside parliament in October 2024 and in other locations nationwide had turned violent “within a short period of time,” with protesters clashing with police, throwing incendiary devices and damaging public and private property. The Prosecutor’s Office alleged that some groups used Molotov cocktails, set fire to the parliament building, and destroyed police equipment.

The statement further claimed that certain NGOs – including the Civil Society Foundation, International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, Institute for Development of Freedom of Information, Democracy Defenders, Georgian Democratic Initiative, Sapari and the Social Justice Center - had channelled funds towards protective gear such as gas masks, helmets, goggles and pepper spray, which were allegedly used during clashes with police.

Prosecutors accused the organisations of exceeding their statutory purposes, financing unlawful acts, and providing support for individuals facing fines and legal expenses after participating in the unrest.

The court-ordered asset freeze, issued on Wednesday, aims to prevent what authorities described as “further misuse of financial resources.”