Civil Sector Under Government Pressure in Georgia – A Joint Statement of Georgian Civil Society Organisations
A great majority of Georigan non-governmental organisations have made a joint statement to respond to threatening remarks issues by Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgia’s richest man and a former PM that still is regarded as the most influential politician in Georgia. The text is republished without any modifications. The list of signatories is unprecedented, with the notable exception of the three organisations whose heads were mentioned by names by Bidzina Ivanishvili, since they didn’t think it would be appropriate to do so.
We are concerned by the pressure non-governmental organisations have been subjected to in Georgia. Recently, accelerated rate of attacks have been observed against those non-profits, whose work contributes to protecting democratic values, universal freedoms, equality-for-all and European type of management of state. On May 1st, 2014 Prime-Minister Irakli Gharibashvili accused NGOs party to the civil campaign “Es Shen Gekheba” (“This Concerns You”) in “shaking the image of the country” and called their activism as “undermining the state”. This statement served as an impetus for politicians to launch verbal attacks and other disruptive actions against non-governmental organisations. On January 26, 2015 former Prime-Minister of Georgia, Bidzina Ivanishvili has directly threatened heads of non-governmental organisations, Nino Lomjaria, and Eka Gigauri, as well as, the former head of GYLA, Kakha Kozhoridze and in fact, vowed to soon publish compromising materials against these individuals. We believe that, Mr. Ivanishvili’s statements do not belong to an individual citizen, but actually constitute the position of an informal ruler of the State. Unsubstantiated accusations voiced by the representatives of the ruling powers constitute a deviation from Georgian Government’s declared values. These statements leave us with the impression that a dedicated campaign is being carried out against civil organisations. Furthermore, not only does this attitude harm democratic values and ideas, to which non-governmental organisations are committed to, but it empowers groups that openly attack these values. This tendency is a matter of an utmost concern, and it deters democratic development of Georgian State. We call upon the members of the Government and on to other politicians to refrain from applying pressure on non-governmental organisations and other actions directed agains CSOs.
The following organisations have signed the statement:
1. Civil Development Agency (CiDA)
2. Union Sapari
3. Article 42
4. EMC
5. Idenotba
6. IDFI
7. Human Rights Center
8. Open Society Georgia Foundation (OSGF)
9. GRASS
10. TDI
11. MDF
12. GCRT
13. UNAG
14. GDI
15. Frontline Club Georgia
16. Studiomobile – Accent on Action
17. PHR
18. Gender Fairness
19. Institute For Non-Violent Communication
20. Human Rights House (HRH)
21. LGBT Georgia
22. Center “Ertoba”
23. Civic Integration Foundation
24. EPRC
25. Nabiji (Kharagauli region)
26. Friendship Bridge “Kartlosi”
27. Wellfare and Development Center
28. Union for Georgia’s Democratic Development
29. Foundation for Dusheti Regional Development
30. Borjgali
31. Akhaltsikhe Youth Center
32. Institute for Democracy
33. Kvemo-Kartli New Initiative
34. Guria Youth Resource-Center
35. Association for Civic Initiatives
36. Indigo
37. Ozurgeti Youth Science Club
38. Center for Public Monitoring and Research
39. For Better Future
40. Union of Meskhetian Democrats
41. Association “Union of Chiaturians”
42. “Stepantsminda”
43. Union “Demos”
44. Kutaisi Information Centre
45. Imereti Regional Academic Union “Spectre”
46. Regional Committee of the Violence Prevention Network.
47. Educational Alliance
48. “We, for Healthy Future”
49. Center for Human Rights and Social Justice.
50. Regional Network of Radio Broadcasters
51. Educational Public Association “Hereti”
52. Civic Journalism Club
