Georgia’s Anti-Corruption Bureau has launched an inquiry into independent online media outlet Indigo under the law on grants. Several other civil society and media organisations have already been targeted by the bureau based on the same law, which prohibits receiving foreign grants without government approval.
Indigo announced the proceedings against them via a Facebook post on Monday.
‘Since all our activities are based on open communication and your trust, we want you to know this. Of course, we continue to serve the mission that created us — we continue to work for free speech and expression, free thought and ideas. You know best what we cover, why we cover it, and how we tell stories’, the outlet wrote.
It is not clear exactly what information the bureau is seeking from Indigo, though the investigation is likely similar to that recently enacted against other media organisations.
Previously, in late September and early October, the bureau requested extensive information from at least four entities carrying out media activities, including the Organised Crime Research Media Centre, the Governance Monitoring Centre (GMC) and Project 64, as well as the organisation responsible for the Mtis Ambebi (Mountain Stories) project.
In letters that were likely identical, the bureau, headed by Razhden Kuprashvili, informed the organisations that proceedings were underway to determine whether their activities complied with the law on grants.
All were asked to provide extensive data on every grant agreement signed or in force since 16 April 2025 — when parliament adopted restrictive amendments — till the present day.
The bureau set a three-business-day deadline for providing the requested information. For their part, the organisations noted that due to restrictive laws, they had not received any new international grants in recent months.
Mikheil Gvadzabia
