On April 17, the Georgian Parliament passed the Act on Transparency of Foreign Influence (also known as the Foreign Agents Act) in its first reading. The bill requires foreign-funded NGOs, media outlets, and trade unions to register as "foreign agents" and be subject to regular surveillance. Under the bill, media and civil society groups must register as "foreign-influenced" organizations if more than 20% of their funding comes from overseas. Although the bill must be voted on twice more before it passes, it has sparked widespread criticism in Georgia because the proposal is likely to restrict the freedom of movement of organizations in the future, undermine freedom of expression, and increase the likelihood of government scrutiny. At the same time, the bill sparked thousands of people taking to the streets to express their discontent.
Chaos in the stadium and demonstrations outside the stadium, Georgia is in a "stalemate"
It is reported that the bill was initially introduced in early 2023 but was subsequently withdrawn due to fierce public opposition. The only wording change from the previous draft is that organizations that receive 20% or more of foreign funding will have to register as "pursuing the interests of foreign funding" rather than "foreign agents." Of the 150 members of Parliament, 83 voted in favour of the vote. Coalitions opposed to the bill include parliamentary opposition groups, civil society groups, and celebrities.
On April 17, the parliament passed the first hearing of the bill in a chaotic session, during which four opposition parliamentarians were kicked out of the chamber and people shouted "against the Russian law" and "traitors". The Georgian crowd protested the draft law outside the Tbilisi parliament, saying it would bring Georgia closer to Russia and "farther and farther away" from the European Union. Georgia, located on the Black Sea coast, was once part of the Soviet Union and became independent when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
About 10 people were arrested during the protests and one policeman was injured in the clashes, Georgia's interior ministry said. "Today is a sad day for Georgia because our government has taken another step towards Russia and away from Europe," one protester told AFP. Aleksandre Ellisashvili, an opposition MP who spoke at the rally, denounced the politicians who voted for the bill as "traitors" and said that the rest of Georgia would show them that "the people are the power, not the traitorous government."
Several high-profile Georgian sports personalities have posted on social media opposing the draft, including Jaba Kankava, captain of the Georgian national football team. Some well-known players, such as Budu Zivzivadze and Giorgi Mamardashvili, have made posts with similar views. As the Georgian national team advanced to the round of 24 of Euro 2024, these footballers have been quite popular on social media in recent weeks.
At a press conference after the parliamentary vote, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze reiterated his support for the law, saying that Georgia was currently at risk of being "Ukrainized" and harshly condemned civil society groups and independent media. He also said that this law will contribute to Georgia's "European integration".
EU and US express 'concern'
According to Al Jazeera, the Foreign Agents Act has received a lot of criticism in the West.
Shortly after the vote, the EU said in a statement: "This is a very worrying development. The eventual adoption of this legislation will have a negative impact on Georgia's accession to the European Union. The statement said the proposed legislation "would restrict the ability of civil society and media organizations to operate freely, potentially restrict freedom of expression, and unfairly stigmatize organizations that benefit Georgian citizens."
The EU urged Georgia to "refrain from passing legislation that could harm Georgia's path to the EU" and said the bill was "inconsistent with the EU's core norms and values." The United States and Britain have also urged Georgia not to pass the bill. Amnesty International urged the Georgian authorities to "immediately cease efforts to refrain from imposing repressive legislation on the country's vibrant civil society." ”
But Prime Minister Kobakidze said in an interview with the media that Western politicians did not come up with a valid reason for opposition, and their statements would not prompt the government to change its mind.
Russia says the bill has been used by outside forces to incite anti-Russian sentiment
The Kremlin said on April 17 that the draft law on "foreign agents" currently being discussed by Georgian parliamentarians has nothing to do with Russia. The Kremlin called Georgian legislation "normal practice" and said that this draft is likely to be used by external forces to incite anti-Russian sentiments and should not be called "Russian law".
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that such situations were used to "stir up anti-Russian sentiments" and that "these intentions and dangerous impulses are unlikely to come from inside Georgia, they may come from outside." He said the Kremlin was closely monitoring developments.
Peskov said that it was not Russia that pioneered such legislation, but the United States. In 1938, they introduced the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which required agents representing foreign interests in a "political or quasi-political capacity" to disclose information about their relationships with foreign governments, related activities, and funding. "Now this has become a normal practice for many governments, which are doing everything they can to protect themselves from external influences," he added.
It is reported that in order for this bill to officially take effect, it must go through two more rounds of deliberation, but as of the 20th, the parliament has not announced when the second review will be held.
News sources: Reuters, Al Jazeera, transitions.org, some of the pictures are online
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