The fifth President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, expresses solidarity with the organizations that, according to her, have become "victims of pressure" from the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

According to Zurabishvili, any action that violates the principle of personal data protection contradicts the core values of both the rule of law and democratic standards.

She states that the Anti-Corruption Bureau has turned into a punitive institution.

"I express my support for the principle of personal data protection, the responsibility to uphold which—and the commitment to which—is an obligation for everyone, without exception. The law must not demand the violation of this obligation by anyone.

Any action that violates this principle and exerts pressure for the disclosure of data is incompatible with the rule of law and democratic standards.

No law should be used against critical voices or the independent civil sector.

I stand in solidarity with the organizations that resisted this pressure. Instead of launching investigations into numerous high-profile corruption cases in the country, Kuprashvili’s agency has turned into a punitive institution,” - reads Salome Zurabishvili’s statement.