Georgian Parliament official: NGO funds used to support revolutionary scenario

Irakli Zarkua, the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Diaspora and Caucasus Issues, on Thursday commented on the freezing of seven non-governmental organisations’ bank accounts amid the ongoing investigation, stressing that Georgia is a state governed by the rule of law, and it was natural for authorities to respond to what he described as attempts to implement a “revolutionary scenario”.

“It turned out that the funds provided by international organizations - intended for assisting people with disabilities, protecting human rights, and carrying out environmental initiatives—were not used for these purposes as declared in their statutes. Instead, they were spent on realizing a revolutionary scenario, including purchasing equipment for participants in violent protests. Naturally, this is a legal state and there had to be a reaction. The first step is freezing the accounts, and likely the investigation will continue”, Zarkua said.

The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday announced that, as part of an ongoing investigation, the Tbilisi City Court approved the freezing of bank accounts belonging to several domestic non-governmental organisations.

According to the statement, the measure was taken within the framework of an investigation into acts of sabotage, attempted sabotage under aggravated circumstances, assistance to foreign or foreign-controlled organisations in hostile activities, and the mobilization of funds for actions directed against Georgia’s constitutional order and national security.