Georgia, “Russian law” comes into force despite protests

Georgia, the “Russian law” proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party and criticized by the EU and the USA officially comes into force

The President of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvilisigned the law on “foreign influence“, which now comes into force despite massive protests demanding the withdrawal of the measure. “Today I signed the law on the transparency of foreign influence, which has as its main objective the strengthening of the strength of the Georgian social, economic and political system “Papuashvili said in a statement.

The legislation, inspired by a repressive measure in force for over 10 years in Russia, provides that NGO and media outlets that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad register as entities serving “the interests of a foreign power” and subject themselves to strict controls. It was definitively adopted by Parliament on May 28, when the deputies of the governing party Georgian Dreamwho hold the majority in the Chamber, managed to overturn the veto placed by the pro-Western president Salome Zurabishvili.

Both theEuropean Union that United States they criticized the law which, according to them, distances Georgia from its goal of joining theEU. The text sparked massive protests in this country of 3.7 million inhabitants and provoked protest actions in front of Parliament for almost two months. Several media and NGOs have announced their intention to continue to contest the text before the Constitutional Court of Georgia – although the latter is also under the control of Sogno Georgiano – and the European Court of Human Rights.

Sogno Georgiano supports EU membership, but says it wants greater “transparency” in the media and in NGO funding. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the ruling party in Georgia has multiplied initiatives that suggest a repositioning of Tbilisi in Moscow’s orbit.