An educational seminar organized by the Tbilisi School of Political Studies was held in Bakhmaro. According to available information, the seminar was held with the support of the Council of Europe and was attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps, including EU Ambassador Paweł Herczyński.

Pro-government media outlet Imedi covered the seminar in the context of the Law on Grants and focused on whether the organization and funding of the seminar had received state approval.

The Tbilisi School of Political Studies was established as a non-governmental organization in 1999. The school operates under the auspices of the Council of Europe and is headed by politician Armaz Akhvlediani.

High-ranking officials also commented on the matter. Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili called the seminar a “political project” and said that if the project is funded by the Council of Europe, it should be clarified whether it had government approval. Papuashvili also linked the seminar to Armaz Akhvlediani’s political activities and said that the Council of Europe Office in Georgia has questions to answer on this issue.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze also commented on the seminar. According to him, “everyone must respect Georgian legislation, including legislation on transparency.” Kobakhidze said the authorities would look into the matter and, if relevant circumstances are established, there would be a legal response.

On 21 September, Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili again spoke about the seminar organized by the Tbilisi School of Political Studies at a briefing held in Parliament. Papuashvili called Armaz Akhvlediani a “radical opposition figure” and voiced accusations against the Council of Europe Office in Georgia. According to him, the case may involve circumvention of the law, which the State Audit Office will examine.

On the same day, the State Audit Office announced that its Department of Political Finance Monitoring had launched monitoring into the alleged receipt of a grant by NNLE “Union Tbilisi School of Political Studies” without the approval of the Government of Georgia.

According to the agency, in examining the matter, it will act within the powers granted by Georgian legislation, including the Law of Georgia on Grants. The State Audit Office says that, as part of the monitoring, it will carry out all necessary actions gradually and sequentially, including questioning persons who may have information related to the matter and reviewing all relevant documentation.

Amendments to the Law on Grants were adopted by Georgian Dream on 16 April 2025. Under the amendments, a grant issuer must apply to the Government of Georgia to obtain approval for issuing a grant, while a grant recipient that receives a grant without approval will be fined twice the amount of the grant. The amendments also granted additional powers to the Anti-Corruption Bureau, including the authority to request financial reports, question individuals, and request special categories of personal data. Civil society criticized the amendments, stating that the law aims to leave “citizens face to face with the ruling party’s punitive system” and to restrict international support.