In solidarity with Georgian civil society and the people of Georgia

The following letter was signed by Transparency International EU and the undersigned organisations and indviduals.

10 December 2024

As human rights defenders and activists across the globe, we are alarmed by the Georgian authorities’ efforts to stifle civil society voices and suppress peaceful protests. Our colleagues and partners in Georgia are being threatened and prosecuted, simply for standing up to protect human rights and civic freedoms.  

To our friends and allies in Georgia, please know that we stand with you as you courageously oppose your government’s attempts to shrink civic space, undermine civil society organizations and social movements, suppress independent media, and erode political plurality. We stand in unwavering solidarity with the people of Georgia in your brave fight for freedom and democracy, and we join your calls to the international community (including international financial institutions, governments and the European Union) to condemn these attacks.

Georgia’s civic space has further eroded in the past months, with the passing of the law “on transparency of foreign influence” in May 2024, despite widespread opposition. The months leading up to the parliamentary elections, held on 26 October 2024,  have also been characterized by significant attacks on democracy, as highlighted also in a joint motion for an EU resolution that denounces alleged electoral fraud, serious irregularities in the electoral process, and a climate of fear (including through the arrests, home raids and intimidation of opposition politicians, civil society leaders, journalists, and other critical voices).

Georgia’s ruling party representatives and their proxies repeatedly label civil society as “centers of liberal fascism” and “foreign agents”, accusing them of instigating violations and openly threatening to prosecute them. 

Over the past week, more than 400 demonstrators have been detained and subjected to police violence and inhumane treatment. Peaceful protestors are chased and beaten by masked groups. Georgia’s ombudsperson described this as “intentional, severe violence for the purpose of punishment constitutes an act of torture.” On 7 December, masked thugs attacked journalists, who were covering the demonstration. On 3 and 4 December, the police raided the homes of activists and the offices of political parties, without presenting search warrants or giving reasons for the search. Despite numerous reports and footage documenting these abuses, no accountability measures have been taken against police officers who used excessive force.

This is a brutal attack on freedoms of speech and assembly, as well as on basic and fundamental rights for a democratic and pluralist society, that affects all of us. It is an attempt to dehumanize and stigmatize civil society activity, something that runs contrary to Georgia’s human rights commitments, as well as international human rights standards and values.

Before the law on foreign influence was passed,  civil society from around the globe had called on financial institutions operating in Georgia to condemn it. Now, in the face of these renewed attacks, once again we call on these institutions to: use their leverage to promote an open civic space, as this is key to achieve development objectives; to ensure that Georgian civil society and citizens can safely exercise their right to participation and freedom of expression; and to ensure that their financial support does not contribute to human rights violations and the ongoing repression of civil society.

We call on international financial institutions, governments and other international partners of Georgia to publicly condemn this attack on human rights and democracy and express their support to Georgian civil society and people of Georgia who demand democracy and human rights.

SIGNATORIES

ORGANISATIONS

1. Aid Watch | Australia
2. ALTSEAN-Burma | Myanmar
3. Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) | Philippines
4. Ang Aroroy Ay Alagaan (4As) | Philippines
5. Anti-Jindal & Anti-POSCO Movement | India 
6. Armenian Forests Environmental NGO | Armenia
7. Arnika | Czech Republic
8. ARTICLE 19 Europe
9. Asia Indigenous Peoples Network on Extractive Industries and Energy (AIPNEE) | Asia
10. Asia Pacific Network of Environmental Defenders | Asia
11. Asia-Pacific Gathering on Human Rights and Extractives (AP-Gathering) | Asia and the Pacific
12. Asociación de Desarrollo para los Pueblos Indígenas de la Amazonía Peruana | Latin America
13. Assembly of the Indigenous Peoples of the Isthmus in Defense of the Land and Territory (APIIDTT)  | Mexico
14. Association for International Affairs (AMO) in Prague | Czech Republic
15. Balkani Wildlife Society | Bulgaria
16. BankTrack | Netherlands
17. Batani Foundation | Russia/USA
18. Bir Duino | Kyrgyzstan
19. Blueprint for Free Speech | Germany
20. Both ENDS | The Netherlands 
21. Caritas Czech Republic | Czech Republic
22. CEE Bankwatch Network
23. Centre for Community Mobilization and Support NGO | Armenia
24. Civic Advisory Hub (CAH)| Africa
25. Civil Platform Poti Citizens for their Rights | Georgia
26. Cohesión Comunitaria e Innovación Social A.C. | Mexico
27. Community Development Advocacy Foundation (CODAF) | Nigeria
28. Community Empowerment and Social Justice Network (CEMSOJ) | Nepal
29. Community Resource Centre (CRC) | Thailand
30. COMPPART Foundation for Justice and Peacebuilding | Nigeria
31. Convergence of Initiatives for Environmental Justice (CIEJ) | Philippines 
32. Convergence of Youth for Environmental Justice (CYEJ) | Philippines 
33. Coopera | Germany
34. Crude Accountability | USA
35. Defenders in Development campaign | Global
36. East African Crude Oil Host communities (EACOP HC) | Uganda 
37. EHA “Green World”, Ukraine 
38. Ekoltava | Ukraine 
39. Ekta Parishad | India
40. Endorois Indigenous Women Empowerment Network (EIWEN) | Kenya
41. Energy Act for Ukraine Foundation | Ukraine
42. Environmental Club Eremurus | Ukraine
43. Equitable Cambodia | Cambodia
44. European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD) | Europe
45. FORZA | Ukraine
46. GAIA Asia Pacific | Asia
47. Global Rights I Nigeria
48. Government Accountability Project | USA
49. Green Foster Action | Uganda
50. Growthwatch | India
51. Human Rights Center – Spaces for Community Defense, Flourishing and Support | Mexico
52. ICO “Environment – People – Law”  | Ukraine
53. Indian Social Action Forum |  India
54. Indigenous Women Legal Awareness Group (INWOLAG) |  Nepal
55. Initiative for Right View (IRV) | Bangladesh
56. Institute of regional sustainable development |  Ukraine
57. International Accountability Project | Global
58. International Committee of indigenous Peoples of Russia |Russia | EU | USA
59. International Rivers | Global
60. Jamaa Resource Initiatives | Kenya
61. JUHUDI Community Support Center I Omar Kofa Komora I Kenya I East Africa
62. Justice and Empowerment Organization (JEO) Tanzania.
63. KALIPUNAN ng mga Kilusang Masa (Gathering of Mass Movements) | Philippines
64. Kallop Humanitarian and Environmental Center | Nigeria
65. Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights | Kazakhstan
66. Kilos Maralita | Philippines
67. KIOS Foundation | Finland
68. Koalisi Rakyat untuk Hak atas Air (KRuHA) | Indonesia
69. Lawyers’ Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples (LAHURNIP) | Nepal
70. LBH ANGSANA, Indonesia 
71. Lumière Synergie pour le Développement | Senegal
72. Movimiento Ecofeminista de El Salvador| El Salvador
73. NESEHNUTÍ | Czech Republic
74. NGO Black Sea Women’s Club
75. NGO Center for Regional Initiatives (ASTREA) | Ukraine
76. NGO CHESNO Movement | Ukraine
77. NGO Ecoclub | Ukraine
78. NGO Ekoltava, Ukraine 
79. NGO Forum on ADB | Asia
80. NGO Plato | Ukraine
81. NGO Ro3kvit Urban Coalition | Ukraine
82. NGO “Ecosphera” | Ukraine 
83. NGO “UEC “Green Wave” | Ukraine 
84. Oyu Tolgoi Watch | Mongolia
85. Pain aux Indigents et Appui à l’auto-Promotion (PIAP) | DRC
86. Participatory Research & Action Network (PRAAN) | Bangladesh
87. Partido Manggagawa (Workers’ Party) | Philippines
88. PODER | México
89. Public Association “Dignity” | Kazakhstan
90. Razom We Stand
91. Recourse | The Netherlands
92. Rivers without Boundaries | Mongolia
93. Rozviy Youth Climate Initiative | Ukraine
94. Secours de la Femme Rurale au Développement (SFRD) | DRC
95. Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO) | Philippines 
96. Sibuyanons Against Mining (SAM) | Philippines
97. Southern Africa Doctors for Human Rights (SADHR) |  Africa
98. Tame Ko Teemahane women’s foundation | Botswana 
99. Transparency International EU | Europe
100. Transparency International Ireland | Ireland
101. Trend Asia | Indonesia
102. U-Cycle | Ukraine
103. Ukraine Nature Network | Germany/Ukraine 
104. Urgewald | Germany
105. Uzbek Forum for Human Rights | Germany/Uzbekistan
106. WAE-HEAL | Tanzania
107. Whistleblowing International Network | Global
108. World March of Women | Philippines 
109. Zero Waste Lviv | Ukraine
110. Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) |  Zimbabwe

Individuals

1. Ravi Rebbapragada (SAMATA) | India
2. Shahinaz Adel (Environmental Lawyer) | Egypt
3. Farida Sharifullina (civic activist against forced eviction) | Uzbekistan
4. Jeff W. Ssebaggala (Witness Radio) | Uganda
5. Atokhon Ghaniev | Tajikistan
6. Ritu Thapa | Nepal
7. Chalani Rubesinghe | Sri Lanka
8. Sahra Aadan (Coalition of Somali Human Rights Defenders) | Somalia
9. Yuyun Indradi | Indonesia
10. Yuliia Melnyk (climate activist), Ukraine
11. Ganna Gladkykh  | Sweden
12. Norman Jiwan I Indonesia
13. Mirvari Gahramanli  Azerbaijan
14. Tanya Lee Roberts Davis (International Rivers) | Canada/Thailand
15. Nazeli Vardanyan  | Armenia
16. Badhon Areng  | Bangladesh