Georgia's adoption of 'Foreign Agents' law giving negative signal to human rights

Expressing shock at the expedited passage of the law through Parliament, the experts noted that media and civil society representatives were denied access to the proceedings.

United Nations experts have strongly criticized the Georgian Parliament's adoption of the controversial 'Foreign Agents' law, warning of its chilling effect on civil society, journalists, and human rights defenders. The move, they say, sends an extremely negative signal about the country's commitment to human rights.

Despite the withdrawal of a similar draft law in March 2023 following widespread protests, the Georgian Parliament proceeded with a new draft of the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence in April 2024, culminating in its adoption on 14 May. This decision comes despite assurances from high-ranking government officials and MPs during a country visit in November 2023 that the draft law would not be reintroduced.

Expressing shock at the expedited passage of the law through Parliament, the experts noted that media and civil society representatives were denied access to the proceedings. They raised serious concerns about the lack of inclusive, transparent, and genuine consultations with civil society, the wider population, and opposition parties.

Mary Lawlor, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, emphasized the alarming speed of deliberations in Parliament and the absence of meaningful consultation. The Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence, also known as the 'foreign agents bill,' mandates media and NGOs to register as "pursuing the interests of a foreign power" if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad. Critics, including Georgia's opposition, view the legislation as an attempt to suppress independent media, civil society, human rights activists, and government critics.

The experts conveyed their concerns to the government regarding the draft law's potential adverse impact on civil society in Georgia. They warned that if signed into law by the President, it would place the country in violation of its human rights obligations, particularly regarding freedom of association.

The adoption of the law follows a violent crackdown by security forces and riot police on peaceful protesters opposing the draft legislation in April 2024. Riot police employed water cannons, tear gas, and stun grenades to disperse demonstrators. Human rights defenders monitoring the protests have reported assaults, threatening messages, and targeted intimidation campaigns.

In their statement, the UN experts underscored that the adoption of the 'Foreign Agents' law represents a regressive step for Georgia. They emphasized that human rights defenders, youth, and peaceful protesters are not adversaries of the state, urging authorities to respect and protect their rights.