Georgian authorities this Friday considered the threats of sanctions made by Washington after the adoption of the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence, known as the “Russian Law,” as ridiculous.
“The imposition of sanctions on deputies elected by the people for approving the law is unprecedented and ridiculous,” wrote the leader of the parliamentary majority, Mamuka Mdinaradze, on the social network Facebook, referring to statements by the US Secretary of State. , Antony Blinken.
Blinken announced restrictions on visas for those charged with enforcing the law and a crackdown on protests against it, claiming they were “undermining” democracy in Georgia.
“The country’s independence cannot be exchanged for visas,” Mdinaradze said, saying that “the policy of blackmail and threats continues to prevent Georgia from making independent decisions that meet its own interests.”
Regarding the possibility of extending sanctions to family members of those who were subject to sanctions, the official recalled that “even the Soviet Union at one time decided not to extend responsibility to family members.”
“Georgians will never leave their homeland, their language, their religion, their traditions, their values, their justice and, thus, will become full members of the European family,” he believes.
The deputy emphasized that, despite the sanctions, the United States will have to conduct a dialogue “with the Georgian people and the government elected by them, and not with those appointed from abroad,” arguing that this is exactly what Georgia “can achieve.”
According to the same source, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobadjidze was threatened that he could suffer the same fate as his Slovak counterpart Fobert Fico, who was the target of an attack nine days ago.
Mdinaradze said France has already passed a similar law and Turkey is considering it, and also said that “the US Secretary of State is announcing sanctions for supporting a law that is much more lenient than what exists” in the United States.
Dmitry Djundadze, a member of the People’s Power movement, which supports the ruling Georgian Dream party, told the press that “the Georgian parliament will overturn President Salome Zurabishvili’s veto on May 28,” after which the law “will come into force.”
The United States will reconsider cooperation with Georgia after the Georgian parliament adopted a law on “foreign influence,” which became the object of mass criticism and protests, the head of American diplomacy said.
Antony Blinken also announced restrictions on US visas for people deemed responsible for “undermining democracy” in Georgia, as well as their family members.
Beyond the law itself, Blinken warned that “oppressive tactics used to suppress legitimate dissent undermine Georgia’s democracy and the fundamental freedoms to which the Georgian people are entitled.”
The law in question requires any non-governmental organization or media outlet that receives more than 20% of external funding to register as a “foreign power organization” and be subject to administrative controls.
Under Vladimir Putin’s presidency, Russia has used a similar law to persecute and outlaw civil society organizations and independent media, which have all but disappeared since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The former Soviet republic of Georgia is officially a candidate for EU membership from December 2023.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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