Freedom House believes that high-ranking representatives of ruling Georgian Dream and their family members should immediately be subject to travel restrictions and financial sanctions if they accept the Russian Law without confirmation from the Venice Commission or before the conclusion is applied. This was stated in a statement by the acting president of the international organization, Nicole Bibbins Sedaca.
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The organization supports the Georgian people and responds to their "alarm" caused by the government's second attempt to pass the law on Foreign Agents.
“If passed, this law would stigmatize legitimate civic activity and independent media and provide authorities with new tools they can use to fine or otherwise penalize nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) whose work they disagree with.
It would align Georgia with repressive regimes such as those in Russia and Kyrgyzstan - autocracies that have systematically worked to decimate civil society using similar measures—and greatly hinder Georgia’s European Union accession efforts.
We reiterate our calls to the Georgian Dream party to immediately withdraw the proposed law,” announced the head of the international organization.
Freedom House further condemns the ongoing repression and violence against the peaceful protesters who have flooded the streets of Tbilisi to stand against the draft law - including the use of water cannons, tear gas, rubber bullets, and mass arrests.
“We are also deeply alarmed by the threats and attacks against Georgian human rights defenders, journalists, and opposition figures, and their families. This repression is unacceptable in any country, but particularly for an aspirant country to the European Union.
We urge immediate and coordinated action from the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom to curb the growing repression against the Georgian people. These governments should insist that the Venice Commission be allowed to evaluate the proposed law and assess its alignment with European standards.
Travel restrictions and financial sanctions should be immediately imposed on high-ranking Georgian Dream officials and their family members if the law is passed without the approval of the Venice Commission or before its findings have been issued.
This is a critical juncture for Georgia’s democratic path. Democratic governments must stand with the people of Georgia and send a clear message that the Georgian Dream government’s current actions will not be tolerated,” the statement reads.
Georgian Dream is going to approve the Russian Law in the third and final reading at today's plenary session of Parliament, against which thousands of demonstrations have been ongoing for a month. The Council of Europe also called on the ruling party to wait for the conclusion of the Venice Commission before making a final decision. The Public Defender of Georgia has applied to the Venice Commission to prepare a conclusion on the Russian Law, but the conclusion has not yet been published.
