Human Rights Watch calls for the Georgian parliament to reject a bill enforcing criminal penalties for civic activists and NGOs that don’t register as “foreign agents.” This legislation threatens fundamental human rights and could further aggravate the country’s ongoing human rights crisis. Hugh Williamson from Human Rights Watch warns that this bill presents activists with a grim choice: accept a damaging label, face prison or abandon their essential work, which could spell disaster for Georgia’s civil society.
The bill is currently under review, with a critical vote expected by the end of March 2025. If passed, it will supersede the previous “foreign influence” law established last year. It mandates that those receiving foreign funding or operating under the influence of foreign interests register and submit detailed financial declarations, while prominently marking their public outputs as from a “foreign agent.”
Failing to comply with the registration could result in hefty fines or even prison sentences. The penalties are significantly harsher than those in the existing law, reflecting the government’s clampdown on civil liberties since earlier protests against the 2024 foreign influence law.
Despite claims from the ruling Georgian Dream party that the bill mirrors the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act, Human Rights Watch highlights key differences. According to U.S. regulations, FARA is designed to monitor foreign influence in domestic politics but does not equate foreign funding with a loss of autonomy.
There are growing fears that the vagueness of the term “influence” in the Georgian bill could lead to misuse against independent groups. The government’s actions following the cancellation of its EU accession further illustrate a troubling trend towards authoritarianism, as protests against oppressive legislation continue to swell across the nation, leading to severe crackdowns by law enforcement.
Additional proposed legislation threatens to strip essential rights, such as banning foreign funding for media and increasing penalties for protesting. Recent amendments extend the detention period for alleged offenders and criminalise peaceful assembly. There have even been allegations of unjustified actions taken against human rights organisations providing support for detained protesters.
Human Rights Watch warns that the impending foreign agents bill will plunge Georgia deeper into a human rights crisis, urging the government to abandon this bill in favour of respecting human rights and the rule of law.
Human Rights Watch urges the Georgian parliament to reject a bill imposing criminal penalties on civic activists and NGOs not registered as “foreign agents.” The bill threatens fundamental rights and could exacerbate the ongoing human rights crisis. If passed, it may lead to harsh penalties for non-compliance and further erode civil liberties in Georgia amid increasing authoritarianism.
In summary, Human Rights Watch vehemently opposes the Georgian government’s proposed foreign agents bill, which threatens to undermine civil society and the essential freedoms of individuals and groups. As the parliament gears up for a decisive vote, the implications of the legislation could be dire, leading to increased repression and pushing the country further away from democratic norms. The international community and local activists continue to call for adherence to human rights standards, urging an end to the proposed measures that threaten civic freedoms.
Original Source: www.hrw.org
