Tbilisi, Apr. 1, (dpa/GNA) – Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream, has pushed through a controversial law establishing a “foreign agent” status, a move critics say mirrors Russian tactics to suppress dissent.

Passed in its third and final reading, the law applies to organizations, media outlets, and individuals receiving foreign funding or directives.

The government says the law it is modelled entirely on US legislation.

But government-critical news portal Civil Georgia wrote that its true aim is to control civil society and the press. This would be more in line with practice in Russia, where the classification as a foreign agent is intended to isolate critical voices.

Lawmakers also reinstated the crime of high treason, banned foreign funding for radio stations, and expanded state media oversight, according to local reports. Additionally, the right of civil society organizations to have a say in certain political decisions — a key EU recommendation for Georgia’s accession process — has been revoked.

Protests against the government have intensified since Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze suspended Georgia’s EU integration efforts in late November 2024. Thousands gather nightly in Tbilisi, demanding new elections, a return to the EU path, and the release of imprisoned government critics.

On Monday, marking the anniversary of Georgia’s 1991 independence referendum, protests swelled. Former president Salome Zourabichvili used the occasion to announce the creation of a new platform uniting pro-European forces in the country.

GNA

PDC