Georgian President considers the law on “foreign agents” unacceptable

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili on Thursday called unacceptable the “foreign agents” law approved by parliament this week based on Russian legislation and which critics consider a threat to freedom of expression.

Zurabishvili sharply criticized the ruling Georgian Dream party for pushing the law, which is widely seen as a threat to Georgia’s aspirations to join the European Union.

The law “is unacceptable because it reflects a change in Georgia’s position towards civil society, the media and the recommendations of the European Commission, which does not correspond to our policy of moving towards European integration,” Salome Zurabishvili said in an interview this Thursday. published by AP news agency.

Thousands of protesters blocked the streets of Georgia’s capital and gathered angrily in front of parliament after lawmakers approved the law on Tuesday despite sharp criticism from the United States and the European Union.

The Caucasian country’s president, who is increasingly at odds with the ruling party, has vowed to veto the approved law, but Georgian Dream has enough of a majority to override the veto.

The legislation was approved on Tuesday in a third and final vote, with 84 votes in favor and 30 against. It specifies that organizations, media outlets and similar entities that receive at least 20% of their funding from abroad are registered as “agents of foreign influence.” , as it happens in Russia.

The government says the measure is aimed at forcing organizations to be “more transparent” about their funding, but in Russia the law is often used to silence hostile press and opponents of President Vladimir Putin.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said on Monday that parliament would pass the law this Thursday “in accordance with the will of the majority of the population” to protect the Caucasian country’s “national interests.”

“Faced with unjustified obligations and loss of sovereignty, Georgia will share the fate of Ukraine. No one outside Georgia can stop us from protecting our national interests,” he said on the same occasion.

Since early April, this legislative measure has been the target of large opposition demonstrations, some of which have been violently suppressed.

Since December last year, Georgia has had candidate status for the European Union (EU) following what the European Commission called Georgians’ “impressive commitment” to European integration.

The European Union considered “intimidation, threats and attacks” against politicians, journalists and citizens fighting for democracy and a European future in Georgia unacceptable.

The approval of the measure was also criticized by the US, with the White House admitting it was “deeply concerned” and warning that the country may reconsider its relationship with Georgia.

Another major criticism came from NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), which felt the measure threatened freedom of expression and association and said the country was further away from Euro-Atlantic integration.