Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has signed the law On Transparency of Foreign Influence, which critics consider a copy of the Russian law on foreign agents. He said this at a briefing on Monday, Ekho Kavkaza reports.
The opposition voted against the bill, and its supporters came out with protest actions. The document was sharply criticized by Western countries. It was vetoed by President Salome Zurabishvili, who refused to sign it. The ruling Georgian Dream party managed to override the president’s veto.
According to the new law, as early as August, media outlets and NGOs that, according to 2023 data, received more than 20 percent of their income from abroad must begin registering as foreign interest organizations. The absolute majority of Georgian online media and NPOs working mainly with Western funds fall under this requirement, Ekho Kavkaza notes.
The authors insist that the document does not contain repressive measures and is intended to increase the transparency of organizations in the non-profit sector. They claim that the law repeats norms not from Russian, but from American legislation.
The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden said that the U.S. may reconsider relations with Georgia in connection with the adoption of the law. A number of representatives of European Union countries called to revoke Georgia’s status as a candidate for EU membership and to give up visa-free regime with Tbilisi after signing the document.
