The United States State Department has once again responded to the ruling party of Georgia's reintroduction of the Russian law restricting independent media and public organizations.
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“We are deeply concerned that draft legislation introduced into Georgia’s parliament will derail Georgia from its European path and harm civil society organizations improving the lives of Georgian citizens. We urge the government of Georgia to advance its EU aspirations,” - wrote the spokesman of the department, Matthew Miller in the social network X.
Earlier, Miller responded to the journalist's question on this topic and recalled the events that took place in March 2023. "Last year, tens of thousands of Georgians took to the streets to make their European ambitions clear and reject attempts to pass this law," he said.
Georgia's strategic partners have criticized the plan to adopt the Russian law. Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, stated that the reintroduction of the bill on "foreign agents" or "foreign influence" "really goes against all efforts to strengthen democratic institutions in Georgia." Stoltenberg expressed concern that "the law that introduced this idea of a foreign agent" will have a significant impact both internationally and on many media outlets operating in Georgia.
Peter Stano, the press spokesperson for the EU External Action Service, reminded the authorities of the 1st and 9th recommendations. These recommendations stipulate that to open negotiations on EU membership, the authorities must ensure the free functioning of civil society in the country and combat disinformation against the EU and its values.
European and American politicians, as well as international organizations, have evaluated the bill negatively. Some of them are focusing on the upcoming elections and believe that the goal of the Georgian Dream is to restrict civil society.
Georgian Dream intends to have the parliament adopt the Russian law on so-called foreign agents in all three readings by the end of the current session, which it had to abandon in March 2023 due to protests and international pressure. The text of the draft law will remain the same, only replacing the term "agent of foreign influence" with "organization carrying the interests of a foreign power." Mamuka Mdinaradze, the executive secretary of Georgian Dream, noted that even in the event of a larger protest than last year, the bill will not be withdrawn.
Until now, the leaders of Georgian Dream had declared that they would not revisit the draft law, considering the issue closed. The honorary chairman of the party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, supports the re-initiation of Russian law.
Similar legislation was passed in Russia in 2013, and its goal is not transparency but the suppression of people or organizations that criticize the government's activities.
