On Tuesday, the Georgian Parliament passed the third reading of the “Foreign Agents Law (also known as the Foreign Influence Transparency Act)” with a vote of 84 to 30. Subsequently, thousands of protesters gathered in front of the parliament for a rally.
According to reports from the Associated Press, protesters clashed with a large number of riot police at the scene. A group of protesters attempted to break through barricades into the parliament. During the confrontation, at least 13 people were arrested, with one suffering serious head injuries.
The bill was initially proposed by the ruling party “Georgian Dream” in March of last year. Massive street protests forced the ruling party to shelve the legislative plans. In April of this year, the ruling party reintroduced the bill.
The law requires any independent non-governmental organization and media organization that receives more than 20% of its funding from abroad to register as “foreign agents.” These organizations will be monitored by the Ministry of Justice and may be required to share sensitive information, with violators facing fines of around $9,300.
Following the enactment of the law, large-scale protest activities have continued for nearly a month. Last weekend in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, about 50,000 people marched in the pouring rain. Protesters faced violent repression from the police, who used tear gas and high-pressure water cannons to disperse the crowds.
Protesters have condemned the law as “Russian legislation,” as Russian authorities have used the “Foreign Agents Law” enacted since 2012 to suppress independent news media, non-profit organizations, and dissenters. They are also concerned that this law may be used by authorities to suppress critical voices ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for October this year.
On April 29th of this year, the founder of the ruling party and billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili stated in a public speech that the party’s current introduction of this law is aimed at exhausting the strength of the political opposition before the parliamentary elections. He also criticized Georgia’s political opposition and civil society groups, accusing them of “treason,” conspiring with foreigners to overthrow the government, and putting the political opposition in power through “opaque funding from non-governmental organizations.”
The bill will now be passed to the President for signing within 10 days. Although non-partisan President Salome Zourabichvili has vowed to use her veto power, the ruling party can overturn the president’s decision with a simple majority, forcing the law into effect.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Georgia applied to join the European Union in 2022 and was granted candidate status in December of the same year. The EU and Western countries have warned that if the bill is passed, Georgia’s path to joining the EU will be hindered.
European Council President Charles Michel, speaking at a democratic conference in Copenhagen on Tuesday, mentioned Georgia, stating, “If they want to join the EU, they must respect the basic principles of the rule of law and democracy.”
According to a press release from the US Embassy in Georgia, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O’Brien met with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in Tbilisi on Tuesday. During a press conference after the meeting, O’Brien stated, “Since 1992, the United States has provided over $6 billion in assistance to Georgia… We hope to continue this partnership. We value this relationship especially because Georgia has been seeking closer ties with European and transatlantic institutions.”
In his speech, he urged the Georgian authorities to adopt legislative norms in line with the EU and transatlantic standards, warning that “if the enforcement of the law does not comply with EU standards, democracy here will be undermined, peaceful protesters will face violence, and then we will see restrictions from the United States.”