Georgia: What is the controversial “Russian law” that the country approved and led to weeks of mass protests

Georgia’s parliament passes controversial “foreign agent” bill that has been the subject of massive street protests,

This Tuesday, in the third debate session of the project, delegates gave the green light to the rules with 84 votes in favor and 30 against.

Its critics, who call it “Russian law”, They point to Moscow’s alleged influence There are further fears in the drafting of the bill that it could be used to suppress the civil liberties of Georgians.

Thousands of people rejected the measure at the doors of parliament in the capital, Tbilisi, while inside there was a tense day with physical and verbal altercations between pro-government and opposition representatives.

The bill could face a veto from Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili, who is not a member of the ruling Georgian Dream party.

However, Parliament is expected to override the President’s veto and advance the legislation.

But what do the new rules include and what are their implications?

Proposed by Sueno Georgiano – who has been in power for 12 years – the bill specifies that NGOs and independent media that receive more than 20% of their funding from foreign donors must register as organizations. “those who protect the interests of a foreign power”,

They will also be subject to the supervision of the Ministry of Justice and will be required to share confidential information and submit annual financial statements.

For entities that fail to comply with the law, fines of up to 25,000 gel (US$9,400) are considered.

Critics compare the “foreign agent” law to an explicitly authoritarian law that came into force in Russia in 2012 and that The Kremlin has since used it to silence voices challenging the regimeFrom media and civil society organizations to personalities from the field of culture.

Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 and has since occupied about 20% of its internationally recognized territory, so there is a deep sense of hostility toward Moscow in Georgian society.

Furthermore, parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held in Georgia in October this year and many fear that the government will use “Russian law” to suppress its critics, noting that many NGOs and civil society organizations are supporting the elections. Will participate in monitoring.

Another concern is that the law will divert Georgia from the path to coveted membership in the European Union, a desire that nearly 80% of Georgians have according to a survey by the National Democratic Institute of the United States.

Georgia seeks EU member candidate status in December 2023, but now both Brussels and Washington have indicated that the foreign agent law will Harmful to European ambitions by country.

Several leaders of the bloc have warned that the bill is “incompatible” with European norms and values, including European Council President Charles Michel, who said the law would “take Georgia further away from the EU rather than closer to it.” Will go.”

Tamar Oniani, representative of the NGO Association of Young Lawyers of Georgia, defined the law on “foreign agents” as “a foreign policy issue for Georgia”, because Russia will take us from the EU,

Other critical voices have pointed to the implementation of similar laws against foreign influence not only in Russia, but also in other countries close to Moscow, such as Kyrgyzstan or Azerbaijan.

“In the call for pro-Russian countries Russian neighborhood It has been said to pass this law as create division between them and Europe“, Anna Dolidze of the opposition Party for the People alleged.

In Kyrgyzstan, the NGO Open Society Foundations recently announced the end of its operations after three decades in the country due to the imposition of a law on foreign agents.

This “will have an extremely negative impact on civil society, human rights defenders and the media in Kyrgyzstan,” the NGO said in a statement.

Russia has rejected allegations of interference on its part.

However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that Moscow had any connection to the bill. Georgian protests blamed on foreign forces Who want to promote anti-Russian sentiment in the country.

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili also believes that the foreign agent law is the work of Moscow and has promised Exercise your right of veto To stop its use.

However, this will only delay the implementation of “Russian law”. will come back to Parliament and he can support it With mostly pro-government representatives.

The position of President in Georgia is largely ceremonial and the government is headed by Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze.

Kobakhidze is a strong supporter of the bill and has accused NGOs of attempting to organize a revolution in Georgia, promoting “gay propaganda” and attacking the Orthodox Church.

He and his government insist that the Bill seeks ensure transparency And they reject the idea that this is against European values ​​or that Russia is behind it.

The ruling Georgian Dream party has called any alleged parallels with Russian law “propaganda”. Have tried to distance themselves from the KremlinCondemned Russian messages about protests in Georgia as inflammatory.

A day before parliamentary approval, Kobakhidze warned that if the project was reversed, Georgia would lose sovereignty and “will easily share Ukraine’s fate”, without giving further details.

Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Georgian Dream MP who voted in favor of the law, explained the ruling party’s stance in favor of the rules in an interview with the BBC.

He alleged that “there are 25,000 NGOs registered in Georgia and 95% of their funding comes from abroad and unfortunately there is a gap in the law that does not oblige these organizations to make public their income and expenses.”

“So, when there are fundamental challenges to national security in Georgia, when 20% of our country is occupied by Russia, when there are conflicts and wars in the immediate vicinity (…) We have the right to know who funds NGOsFrom which countries and on what projects or purposes they spend the money.

He also assured that the Georgian project “Nothing looks like that” According to the regulations in force in Russia, “there are strict laws when it comes to imposing criminal liability on individuals, closing down NGOs or preventing people from participating in elections.”

With regard to criticism of the EU, he said his government was “ready for debate and ready to listen to suggestions from European officials.”

The former Soviet Republic of Georgia became independent in 1991, but experienced a period of internal instability for much of the next decade, including the region of Abkhazia declaring its independence.

Tbilisi alleges that the breakaway region was invaded by Russia and has been under occupation ever since.

In 2008, after a five-day war, Russian troops captured another Georgian region, South OssetiaA mountainous area northwest of the capital.

The region also later declared its independence, which was recognized by a group of countries including Russia as well as Syria and Venezuela.

South Ossetia is still effectively under Russian occupation.

According to opinion polls, the majority of Georgians would like to see a peaceful solution to the problem of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

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