The Open Society Foundation of controversial US-Hungarian billionaire George Soros said on Saturday it was winding down its presence in Tajikistan after decades of charitable work, APA reports citing Sputnik.
The Branch Office of the International Organization of Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation in Tajikistan will close as part of a “global reorganization and transformation.”
The process began last year following a review of the New York-based foundation’s priorities. It will restructure more than 20 national foundations globally with a new, “regionally-led approach.”
The Tajikistan office will stop accepting applications for grants but will meet all outstanding obligations on disbursements related to active grant projects on time, the statement read.
The Tajikistan foundation was launched in 1996 following the fall of the Soviet Union. A 2021 breakdown of expenses shows that the foundation, which brands itself as an advocacy for democracy, spent $3.3 million on grants in Tajikistan. The largest share of funds went to human rights movements.
Soros has been accused of using his philanthropic activity as a front for campaigns to undermine national governments and change the course of elections. Russia listed his charities as undesirable organizations in 2015.
