Georgia Revives ‘Foreign Agent’ Law That Sparked Protests
- Opposition vows to fight against Georgian Dream’s initiative
- Ruling party said revised law targets foreign funding of NGOs
Georgian opposition supporters rally outside the parliament to protest the “foreign agents” bill in Tbilisi in March 2023.
Photographer: Vano Shlamov/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Georgia’s ruling party said it’s reviving a draft law targeting “foreign agents” that triggered violent clashes between police and protesters last year and evoked comparisons to a measure Russia uses to suppress critics.
The Georgian Dream party said the legislation, which drew strong criticism from the US and the European Union, aimed to force non-governmental organizations to disclose their sources of funding. It accused civil society groups of “supporting extremism,” including ones backed by US and European foundations.