A group of civil society organizations have called on governmental officials for restraint while making public statements about the situation surrounding the influential human rights advocacy group The Georgian Young Lawyers? Association (GYLA).
On January 9, one group of members of GYLA, mostly representatives of the present authorities, demanded reforms and the resignation of chairperson Ana Dolidze – accusing her and the current leadership of being politically-motivated and with being associated with the opposition Republican Party. Ana Dolidze described the current situation as ?a political attack? against civil society organizations.
This latest statement, issued on January 13, is signed by some 53 civil society organizations, including the Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development, The Association of Young Economists of Georgian, Internews Foundation, International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy, United Nations Association of Georgia, Open Society ? Georgia Foundation and the Green Alternative.
The statement reads that according to GYLA?s internal regulations, separate representatives of the authorities, who are simultaneously members of the organization, can definitely exert influence on its activities.
?But when a top official [referring to Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili] makes public statements from his office regarding the activities of the civil society organization, this is perceived as pressure by the authorities on the civil sector… Therefore, those members of civil society organizations who at the same time hold high positions in the government ought to be extremely restrained while making public statements about this problem,? the statement reads.
Participants of the Ethics Code feel that the situation surrounding GYLA should be settled by the organization itself, since ?any external interference by the authorities or other parties is inadmissible.?
Another group of about 50 civil society organizations issued a separate statement on January 12. In a tough-worded statement the authorities were accused of mounting ?a dirty campaign? against GYLA in an attempt to silence the watchdog group, which has always voiced ?well-founded criticism? over the ?authorities? undemocratic steps.?
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