The streets of the Georgian Capital amidst Violent Clashes: the ‘Foreign Agent’ Law is Approved in Parliament

17-05-2024

Innocenti Chiara

Human Rights and Europe Team,

Global Human Rights Defence.

Tbilisi (Georgia) – On Monday 13th, Georgian Dream, along with other lawmakers in Parliament, moved to approve the ‘foreign agents’ law, though the final decision is expected to be announced on Tuesday. The process has been a simple affair, with Members of Parliament casting their votes in just 67 seconds, some without even making it to the chamber. The third and final reading, set for Tuesday, is anticipated to be little more than a formality, yet the bill itself will have significant implications for the population. The result will be a controversial and divisive law that, from the outset, has caused social havoc and agitation for jeopardising freedom of expression and civil liberties. 

For many, the bill is crystal-clearly modeled on Russian legislation, as it imposes similar restrictions on civil society and local media. The law is intended to oblige all media receiving more than 20% of their funding from foreign States to register themselves as ‘organisations serving the interests of a foreign power’, effectively undermining democratic values and freedoms that should be inherent to the people.

Efforts to pass the law harken back to March, but then protests erupted, with citizens fearing a crackdown on their rights, eventually forcing a temporary halt to the bill. The renewed push for the law came despite widespread opposition from both Georgians and pro-democracy countries, coinciding with the assumption of office by the new Prime Minister, Irakli Kobakhidze. In this scenario, many have pointed to the increasing ties between the Georgian government and the Russian Federation, especially given that the governing party of the Parliament, Georgian Dream, has been repeatedly accused of harboring pro-Russian sympathies. 

After the President of Georgia labelled the bill an ‘exact duplicate’ of its Russian counterpart, she vetoed it, but this act did little to alter the course of events, with the Georgian President remaining largely symbolic in the face of the government’s resolve.

The streets of Tbilisi have been filled with chaos and protests for weeks, culminating in violent clashes just before Monday’s parliamentary vote. The rage is especially widespread among those who have long advocated for Georgia’s swift and smooth integration into the European Union, a process that began in 2022.

The ‘foreign agent’ provision has been immediately recognised by EU leaders as a significant obstacle to Georgia’s accession. And this situation is particularly frustrating considering that four out of five Georgians have consistently expressed their desire to join the 27-member EU bloc, valuing its commitment to human rights and dignity. Now that the European institutions granted Georgia candidate status in December, the entire procedure risks sustaining a setback due to the illiberal preferences of what many view as an ostensibly authoritarian administration. Ahead of the acts of extreme brutality of clashes and threats against peaceful demonstrators by local police, the European Commission’s President Ursula von der Leyen has expressed deep concern, urging local legislators to “stay the course on the road to Europe”.

Sources and further reading: 

Berlinger, J. (2024, May 15). What is Georgia’s ‘Foreign agents’ bill, and why is Europe so alarmed? CNN. Retrieved on May 15, 2024, from:

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/05/13/europe/georgia-foreign-agents-law-explained-intl/index.html.

Boffey, D. (2024, May 13). “The whole country will strike”: protesters vow to keep fighting Georgia’s ‘foreign agents’ bill. The Guardian. Retrieved on May 15, 2024, from

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/13/protesters-fight-georgia-foreign-influence-law-bill-parliament.

Howard, J. (2024, May 13). Georgia protests: Riot police face off against foreign influence bill demonstrators. BBC. Retrieved on May 15, 2024, from:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-69001339.

(2024, May 1). European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issues statement on Tbilisi protests. Common Space Europe. Retrieved on May 15, 2024, from https://www.commonspace.eu/index.php/news/european-commission-president-ursula-von-der-leyen-issues-statement-tbilisi-protests.

(2024, May 13). “Georgian ‘Foreign Agent’ Law Advances in 67 Seconds amid Violent Clashes Outside”. RadioFreeEurope: RadioLiberty. Retrieved on May 15, 2024, from:

https://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-foreign-agents-bill-vote-67-seconds-violence/32944589.html.