US Congress may sanction authors of Georgia's 'foreign agents' law - WSJ, The Hill

The US Congress sanction authors of Georgia’s ‘foreign agents’ law

Joe Wilson, a member of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee and Chair of the Helsinki Commission, plans to introduce a bill proposing sanctions against those responsible for passing Georgia’s ‘Foreign Influence Transparency’ law, commonly referred to as the ‘Russian law’ within Georgian society.

This move comes in response to recent events in Georgia, including mass protests against the law, a presidential veto, and the ruling Georgian Dream party’s staunch refusal to withdraw the controversial legislation.

The bill is likely to be introduced Monday, 20 May, and could relatively easily pass through the House Foreign Affairs Committee, The Hill reports. The panel’s chair, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), wrote earlier to Georgia’s prime minister warning against advancing the foreign agents bill.

The Wall Street Journal first reported on the US intention to impose sanctions, which was later confirmed by the Helsinki Commission.

1. According to the bill, sanctions may also be imposed on individuals responsible for elite corruption, evasion of sanctions against Russia, and other criminal activities.

2. Furthermore, under the bill, trade, cultural, and military cooperation with Georgia will be enhanced only after the country shifts away from its pro-Russian course.

“This could be a defining moment for Georgia’s democratic future as its citizens try to stop a tool of authoritarian control,” the WSJ article states.

• The “foreign agents” bill in Georgia will also apply to individuals
• “This was the final warning”: Analysts assess U.S. assistant secretary of state’s visit to Georgia

The Hill is warning in the article that “government officials in the country of Georgia might be sanctioned over their pursuit of a Russian-inspired bill that has triggered unprecedented protests and drawn condemnation from U.S. and European Union officials.”

“The bill would require the administration to identify for sanctions and visa bans Georgian government officials responsible for passing the so-called “foreign agents” law, which critics say is designed to silence civil society, non government organizations (NGOs) and opposition groups.

“The situation in Georgia is heartbreaking. The Georgian people are an embodiment of freedom and continue to inspire Americans,” Wilson said in a statement to The Hill.

“Sadly, the pro-Russian [Georgian Dream] government is going against patriotic Georgians who reject life in the Kremlin’s dark ages. [..]

The bill, if enacted, requires individuals or organizations that receive 20 percent of their funding from a foreign government to register with the internal security services as a “foreign agent” and as promoting the interests of a foreign power.

Some groups that would fall under the category of “foreign agent” have declared they will refuse to register, but fear being a target of the police and courts that could ransack and shut down their operations and possibly jail individuals.

The legislation mirrors a 2012 Russian law that has been used to criminalize pro-democracy groups, opposition figures, journalists and news outlets.

EU officials have spoken out against Georgian Dream’s pursuit of the law as incompatible with Georgia’s aspirations to join the bloc, warning its candidate status is in jeopardy.

And lawmakers in Washington had warned that passing the foreign agents law would require a fundamental shift in U.S. relations with Georgia.

Wilson’s draft is a first step in telegraphing those consequences.

Wilson’s bill, while scrutinizing individuals for visa bans and sanctions, also calls for the Biden administration to report on Russian intelligence assets in Georgia and the extent of Chinese influence, and any malign, Sino-Russian collaboration in Georgia.“

But Wilson’s draft text also offers carrots if the foreign agents law is revoked.

• The bill offers elevated trade ties with Georgia;
• Allows for more Georgians to visit the U.S. for travel and study;
• And economic assistance, among other benefits.

The bill calls for the president to provide training, support and “defense equipment ideally suited for territorial defense against Russian aggression. Russian forces occupy about 20 percent of Georgian territory, having invaded the country in 2008, backing separatist movements in the territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazi,” the article in The Hill reads. 

The benefits Wilson outlines can only be enacted if the executive branch can verify that Georgia is making “significant and sustained progress towards reinvigorating its democracy, evidenced at minimum by substantially fair and free elections and a balanced preelection environment.” 

The Helsinki Commission announced that a hearing titled ‘Protecting the Sovereignty and Democracy of Georgia’ will be held on June 4.

Experts in the field will address the hearing, including former US Ambassador to Georgia William Courtney, former Georgian Ambassador to the European Union Natalie Sabanadze, and head of the European Integration Program at the Open Society Georgia Foundation Vano Chkhikvadze.