The Parliament of Georgia voted in the first reading for the controversial draft law on “foreign agents”

The Parliament of Georgia approved in the first reading the controversial law on "foreign agents", also known as the draft law "On transparency of foreign influence".

This is reported by Echo Kavkazu. The document was supported by 83 deputies, no one voted against it.

Critics consider the draft law to be similar to the Russian one adopted in 2012. The authorities of Georgia and the ruling party "Georgian Dream", which submitted the document for consideration, say that the proposed bill has nothing to do with the Russian law.

The draft law recognizes that organizations that work for the "interests of a foreign power" are non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entities, broadcasters and media owners whose source of more than 20% of their total profit during a calendar year is a "foreign power".

Such media and organizations are obliged to apply to the National Public Registry Agency themselves with an application to register them as "foreign agents". Refusal of registration or failure to submit a financial declaration within the established terms — a fine of 25 000 GEL (371 300 UAH).

One of the controversial provisions of the draft law is the article according to which the Ministry of Justice of Georgia can conduct monitoring in order to detect "foreign agents" or violations of the requirements of the law, but the basis for such monitoring can be an ordinary written denunciation.

• All international partners of Georgia call on Tbilisi to refuse to approve the draft law on "foreign agents". On April 16, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Teodoros Roussopoulos appealed to the Venice Commission to urgently provide an opinion on this draft law.
• The draft law on "foreign agents" was registered in the parliament by the ruling Georgian Dream party on April 8, 2024. This is the second attempt to pass the law — a year ago, the vote was canceled amid large-scale protests and clashes.
• This vote is also accompanied by protests. Detentions near the parliament began on April 15, and on April 16 there were clashes with security forces.