Translated by Adrian Bader
“Nanuka’s Fund has been seized. The details aren’t known. We’re finding out the reasons,”–the broadcaster Nanuka Zhorzholiani posted on March 17th on social media. According to the journalist, the bank informed her that Tbilisi City Court had demanded the account be promptly seized.
“I’m calling the city court, and they say that I called the National Bureau of Enforcement. I call the bureau and there they say to me that the request for my foundation to be seized wasn’t theirs. The blocking of the foundation’s account went around them–the court simply demanded a direct seizure,” wrote Zhorzholiani.
During this, the journalist committed to not losing hope and promised to continue helping protestors:
“We’re moving to an interesting phase, all obligations to prisoners will be fulfilled until the end! We will find other paths to help people! Kotsi (representatives of Georgian Dream) thought that they scared us, but they fueled us with new strength to fight.”
Nanuka Zhozholiani’s charitable foundation was founded in 2020. After the start of wide-scale pro-European protests in Georgia, the journalist began gathering protective equipment for participants–respirators, goggles, and gas masks. Then the fund moved to raising money for paying fines.
Nanuka’s Fund wasn’t the only platform that raised money to support protestors. And it’s not the only one whose account has been blocked. Several hours following Zhozholiani’s post, Nancy Voland, admin and founder of the Daitove group which also helps protestors, shared that other foundations had been seized.
For instance, former Georgian prime minister Nika Giluari’s fund Prosperity Georgia. Founded in mid-December, it helps citizens and journalists participating in rallies as well as civil servants who were fired or punished for joining actions.
Human Rights House Tbilisi, For Each Other, and Shame were also organizations whose accounts were blocked. They had all helped pay pro-European protestors’ fines. Their work was especially crucial after changes were made to the Administrative Procedure Code tightening laws on organizing rallies, which included higher fines.
Many of those who received citations weren’t able to independently pay them. The new fine is 5,000 lari (about 1,800 dollars) which is 19 times the cost of living in Georgia.
Human rights activists repeatedly stated that baseless and “disproportionately high fines” are considered a form of repression. They called the measures antidemocratic and a way to suppress dissent.
“Aggressive groups funded”
Prosecutors in Georgia commented on the situation several hours after the message announced the accounts were blocked. The department stated that these organizations are contributing a large portion of funds to financing individuals “accused of organizing and taking part in group violence, as well as their family members,” and providing the necessary equipment to commit these crimes.
“The investigation found that aggressive groups systematically supplied respirators, ‘special gas masks,’ helmets, and other equipment for making authorities’ violent attacks less effective during special police events.
As a result of these violent actions, 55 people were injured, the majority of which were law enforcement officers. Besides, there was damage to administrative buildings and special equipment due to the fire.”
Prosecutors also claim that legal bank accounts financing illegal protests were open during the last period; from December 2024 to now, more than 2 million lari (over 700,000 dollars) have moved through them.
The investigation also supposedly discovered money transfers with clear purposes for the funds including “necessary equipment for protests”, “everything needed for battle,” “inventory for protestors,” “pyrotechnic purchases,” and “gas masks for children on the front line.”
In the prosecutors’ version, large sums noted “for purchasing gas masks for children on the frontline” were initially for financing violent groups located “on the frontline” during attacks against authorities as well as committing violent actions.
“‘Considering the circumstances, the ‘funds’ were mainly used for financing individuals accused of organizing and taking part in group violence, as well as their family members, and thus […] are the grounds for encouraging people to commit illegal actions for material gains, the prosecutor of Georgia ruled on March 17th, 2025; financial institutions seized the bank accounts of nonprofit legal entities and their financial means: Nanuka’s Fund, Prosperity, For Each Other, 24/7, Sirtskhvilia, Human Rights House Tbilisi.’”
Solidarity or Subversion
The former Sarkebulo (city council) Tbilisi deputy from Georgian Dream and current head of Neutral Georgia, Vakhtang (Vato) Shakarashvili, account funds were also blocked. It was after his criticisms that prosecutors started probing organizations supporting protestors.
“The case was launched based on coup attempts and assistance in the country by organizations subordinate to foreign states,” stated Shakarishvili in a TV Pirveli interview. According to him, the funds serve to undermine the constitutional structure in Georgia, overthrow the government, and implement revolutionary scenarios.
One of the leaders of the opposition group Coalition For Change, Elene Khoshtaria, believes that limiting the accounts’ activity is aimed at suppressing protestors.
“They are scared of funds, and they’re right to be! They are scared of all forms of solidarity and they’re going to persecute them,” stated Khoshtaria.
According to the oppositionist, the behind-the-scenes assistance angered the system, “when we understand that these persecutions serve to suppress protests, we must calmly continue to protest and find other forms of solidarity.”
In turn, Nanuka Zhozholiani stated, “Friends, when one door closes, another one certainly opens.”
