Dozens of CSOs Report New Inspections Under Amended Law on Grants
Up to 30 Georgian civil society organizations say they received inspection requests from the country’s Anti-Corruption Bureau under the Law on Grants, in what they call a new wave of authorities’ “persecution and pressure” on them.
The CSOs say the latest requests by the Anti-Corruption Bureau, which follow a separate series of inspections and crackdowns under different laws and probes this summer, invoke the Law on Grants, which was amended in April to bar foreign donors from funding local groups without government approval.
In a September 22 statement, the organizations said they received inspection notices on September 8, with the bureau, led by Razhden Kuprashvili, whom critics view as a Georgian Dream loyalist, requesting “wide-ranging information” about their activities since April 16 without citing relevant articles of the law. They noted, however, that the “repressive” amendments to the Law on Grants came into force on April 17.
The organizations said they responded to the inspection requests in writing, “explaining that the bureau was violating the Law on Grants and clarifying that since the amendments took effect, they have neither signed new grant agreements nor changed old ones,” making the inspection “unlawful.”
The groups said the bureau refused to provide them with case materials despite their request and instead pressed ahead by asking the court to compel compliance. They said that the Tbilisi City Court satisfied the bureau’s motions against nine organizations on September 17, ordering them to hand over information.
The groups stressed that neither the bureau’s letters nor the court’s ruling identified factual grounds for alleged violations. They accused the court of “reproducing” the bureau’s arguments without due review, “undermining its constitutional role of judicial oversight and putting both civil society and personal data at risk.”
“Despite the illegally launched monitoring, we continue our work and legal battle to stop enforcement of the repressive laws,” the organizations said, pledging to use “every legal mechanism to protect our rights and those of the citizens of Georgia.”
The newly reported inspection requests from the Anti-Corruption Bureau follow two earlier rounds. In June, eight organizations reported receiving court orders for inspections under the Law on Combating Corruption, the Law on Political Associations, and the Law on Grants. The Bureau sought the groups to hand over extensive information about their activities, as well as sensitive data about their beneficiaries.
In August, seven CSOs reported inspection requests under Georgin Dream’s version of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). The affected CSOs argued that FARA does not apply to them, refusing to register under the legislation.
Later in August, authorities froze the bank accounts of seven CSOs in the so-called “face masks case,” claiming they funded protests and protesters who committed “violent acts” against police during 2024 rallies. The heads of the CSOs have testified before a magistrate judge in the case.
The recent inspection affects more organizations than before. The organizations say “up to 30” groups are affected, including the signatories to the September 22 statement:
- Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA)
- Prevention for Progress (PFP)
- Europe Foundation
- Women’s Initiatives Supporting Group
- Animal Rescue organization Peteasy
- Georgian Centre for the Psychosocial and Medical Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (GCRT)
- Civic Idea
- Tolerance and Diversity Institute (TDI)
- Equality Movement
- Scientific-Intellectual Club Dialogue Between Generations
- Rights Georgia
- Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI)
- EuroClub Kvareli
- Europe-Georgia Institute
- Media Center Kakheti
- Human Rights Center
- Youth for Democratic Changes
- Civil Society Institute
- Democracy Institute
- Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG)
Also Read:
- 11/09/2025 – Nine International Groups Concerned Over GD’s ‘All-Out Assault’ on Civil Society, Call on EU for ‘Urgent’ Response
- 18/07/2025 – UN Committee Calls on Georgia to Suspend Court Order Seeking NGO Beneficiary Data
- 10/06/2025 – GD Parliament Further Amends Law on Grants