“Everything that happened in the organization during my tenure was, of course, Georgian business. This is another persecution of civil society organizations; after the seizure, organizations will struggle to function,” said Nino Doladze, the former head of “Fair Elections,” to journalists. She is being questioned before a magistrate judge regarding the so-called “sabotage case.”
According to Nino Doladze, targeted actions against civil society have been evident for a long time.
“As you know, a few days ago, civil society organizations were seized, one of which is ‘Fair Elections,’ which I led for four years. The seizure was reportedly due to various activities, including the purchase of face masks. Presumably, this is why I have been summoned. The prosecutor’s office called me, and I requested to be questioned in court.
Everything that happened in the organization during my tenure was, of course, Georgian business. We served our country, protected free and fair elections, and human rights. Naturally, I will talk about these issues.
For a long time, we have been witnessing targeted actions against civil society. Whether it’s disinformation campaigns against my organization or me personally, legislative changes, Ivanishvili’s ‘shield,’ and so on, we have seen attempts to suppress us at the legislative level as well. This is another persecution of civil society organizations; after the seizure, organizations will struggle to function,” Doladze stated.
She also noted that “Fair Elections” has never purchased anything for protests.
“The face masks, which they are presumably accusing us of, were one or two for employees, the same kind you wore when covering protests.
I had to protect the safety of my employees. These people were defending human rights, conducting monitoring, and as a director, I was obliged to protect their rights. Presumably, your media owners also protected you so you wouldn’t be suffocated by gas,” Doladze remarked.
For reference, on August 27, the Prosecutor’s Office released information stating that the Tbilisi City Court granted the prosecution’s request to seize the bank accounts of the following organizations: “International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy,” “Institute for Development of Freedom of Information,” “Defenders of Democracy,” “Georgia’s Democratic Initiative,” “Safary,” and “Social Justice Center.”
Nino Doladze: For a long time, we have been witnessing targeted actions against civil society. After the seizure, organizations will struggle to function
