The UK is deeply disturbed by reports that the Prosecutor General’s Office has frozen the accounts of seven NGOs as part of an investigation into alleged acts of sabotage. The British Embassy in Georgia has issued the corresponding statement.

„We are concerned they have been targeted as part of a politically motivated effort to silence independent voices, rather than a legitimate response to any unlawful activity.

Activities of the NGOs in question include promoting free and fair elections and freedom of information; providing legal assistance to Georgian citizens; and supporting women and children, people with disabilities and survivors of domestic violence. Closing them down will harm the Georgian people and further erode democratic protections and accountability in Georgia.

We note the recent Opinion of the Council of Europe’s Expert Council on NGO Law which found that implementation of recent legislation will cause “grave and unjustified damage to civil society in Georgia” and is inconsistent with a wide range of commitments that Georgia, as a member state of the Council of Europe, has undertaken.

We call on the Georgian authorities to repeal repressive legislation, end its attacks on civil society, and engage in a national dialogue with all stakeholders to find a way out of the current crisis“, reads the statement.