American Senators visit Georgia to discuss law on "foreign agents"

American Senators in Georgia

US Senator and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European and Regional Security Cooperation Jean Shaheen, and Chairman of the Senate Group on Ukraine Dick Durbin, are on a visit to Georgia to discuss a proposed law on “foreign agents” initiated by MPs who left the ruling Georgian Dream party to form a splinter movement.

At a press conference, Shaheen asserted that the law has nothing to do with its American analogue, but is rather a copy of a similar Russian law. The same law was adopted by Hungary, but it turned out to be incompatible with EU standards and human rights, according to the Senator.

The draft law “On transparency of foreign influence” initiated by the “People’s Power” movement was submitted to the Georgian parliament.

Journalists protested immediately at a perceived threat to media freedom in Georgia.

The parliamentary majority intends to determine the final position in the next two weeks.

Shaheen said that the issues of deoligarchization and the EU’s twelve points toward candidacy were discussed at a meeting with Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili.

Shaheen also noted that it is extremely important for journalists to have the opportunity to work freely in their profession. According to the Senator, media freedom and human rights are among the main recommendations from the European Union, and Georgia must meet the challenge.

“For thirty years, the USA has supported the aspiration of Georgia and the Georgian people to live in a democratic, prosperous and successful country, and they support the aspiration of Georgia to become a member of the European Union and NATO. And we confirmed this support at today’s meetings.

We also recommended the government continue to support such issues as accountability, transparency, and promote the Georgian people’s desire for Euro-Atlantic integration and rapprochement with Europe,” Shaheen said.

Asked at a press conference about Mikheil Saakashvili, Senator Dick Durbin urged that he be treated humanely:

“I know Saakashvili personally. I met him when he was the president. We are following his situation closely. I don’t know about any legal charges against him. I’m not an expert, but I have heard that his health is declining. He has the right to be treated humanely.”

• ‘The decline of democracy in Georgia is alarming’ – US Senate Committee
• Experts on “foreign agent” law in Georgia

On February 16, the official representative of the US State Department, Ned Price, reacted to the initiative of the deputies formally separated from the “Georgian dream” about “foreign agents” and declared that such a law would create a potential threat to the Euro-Atlantic movement of Georgia. According to Price, the law is based not on the American, but on the Russian and Hungarian versions of this legislative act.

According to Price, the proposed law will exclude and silence the independent voice of Georgian citizens who strive to create a better future for their society.

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Deputies, who formally separated from the party “Georgian Dream” and founded the movement “Vlast naroda”, registered in the parliament the draft law “On transparency of foreign influence”, which concerns the activities of organizations working with foreign financing.

Georgian non-governmental organizations receiving funding from foreign sources must enter the register of “foreign agents”. According to one of the leaders of the movement and former public defender Sozar Subari, this will be an analogue of Western transparency of financing and it has nothing in common with the Russian model.

According to Guram Macharashvili, another leader of “People’s Power”, based on the principles of openness and transparency, the public should know the sources of income not only of politicians who make decisions, but also of NGOs and media that influence public decisions and participate in the formation of public opinion or make Active participation in discussions held by legislative and executive bodies when adopting laws or decisions.

According to Macharashvili, the issue of registration of the above-mentioned subjects as agents of foreign influence is provided by the National Agency of the State Register.