The international human rights organization “Transparency International” calls on Georgia not to adopt the law on “agents of foreign influence.”
The organization is concerned about the new bill and notes that its adoption will severely impact civil society and independent media and undermine progress in the fight against corruption.
According to Transparency International, the bill initiated by the ruling party mirrors a repressive law passed in Russia in 2012 and extended in 2022, which the international community has strongly condemned.
“Active civil society is one of the greatest values of Georgia. The proposed law is not about transparency but labeling and demonizing independent civil society. If passed, the law will also hinder future progress in many areas, including the fight against corruption,” said Transparency International President Delia Ferreira Rubio.
“Transparency International” speaks about the revenge of the ruling party against independent figures and recalls that after the publication of the 2022 Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, government officials attacked the Georgian branch of “Transparency International.”
“The proposal that civil society organizations and mass media receiving foreign funding should be called “foreign agents” also contradicts the Georgian government’s aspirations for European integration.
