Georgia’s parliament speaker signs a bill that critics say limits press freedom

TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Georgia’s parliament speaker said he signed a divisive measure Monday that has drawn weeks of protests from critics who say it will curtail press freedom and jeopardize the country’s chances of joining the European Union.

President Shalva Papuashvili acted after the legislature, controlled by the ruling Georgian Dream party, overrode President Salome Zourabichvili’s veto of the bill.

Approved by lawmakers last month, the measure requires media, non-governmental organizations and other nonprofit groups to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad.

Zourabichvili, who is increasingly at odds with the ruling party, opposed the bill, accusing the party of jeopardizing Georgia’s future and “obstructing the path to becoming a full member of the free and democratic world.”

The government says the law is needed to stop what it sees as harmful foreign actors trying to destabilize the South Caucasus nation of 3.7 million. Many journalists and activists say his real goal is to stigmatize them and narrow debate ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for October.

Opponents have denounced it as “Russian law” because it resembles measures imposed by the Kremlin to crack down on independent news media, nonprofits and activists. They say the move may have been driven by Moscow to hinder Georgia’s chances of further integration with the West.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze dismissed the criticism on Monday as “unnecessary emotions that only have an artificial basis.”

“Now the law has already come into force and we all need to act pragmatically with a cool mind and put aside unnecessary emotions,” he said.

Over the weekend, the opposition United National Movement said a crowd of masked men attacked its central offices in Tbilisi, breaking windows and destroying property. The attackers were alleged to have ties to the ruling party. The Ministry of the Interior opened an investigation into the material damage.

The legislation is almost identical to a measure the ruling party was pressured to withdraw last year after massive street protests. Renewed demonstrations gripped Georgia again as the new bill made its way through parliament this time. The demonstrators clashed with the police, who used tear gas and water cannons to disperse them.

After signing the bill, Papuashvili reiterated that its main goal was “to increase the resistance of Georgia’s political, economic and social systems to external interference.”

“If non-governmental organizations and the media want to participate in the decision-making process and influence the lives of the Georgian people with funding from foreign governments, they must meet the minimum standard of transparency – the public must know who is behind each actor “. he said.

Papuashvili said that once the new law is published on Tuesday, the Ministry of Justice will have 60 days to complete the necessary formalities. After that, those affected by the law must register and declare their finances for the past year.

The Foundation for Civil Society of Georgia, a non-governmental group, said Thursday that it is preparing to challenge the legislation in Georgia’s constitutional court.

The European Union’s foreign policy arm said the passage of the law “negatively affects Georgia’s progress on the EU path”.

The EU offered Georgia candidate status in December, while making clear that Tbilisi must implement key policy recommendations for its membership bid to progress.

After the bill was passed last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that travel sanctions would be imposed on officials “who are responsible or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia.” He expressed hope that the Georgian government would reverse course and “take steps to move forward with their nation’s democratic and Euro-Atlantic aspirations.”

The United National Movement describes the law as part of Georgian Dream’s efforts to drag the country into Russia’s sphere of influence – a claim the ruling party angrily rejects. Georgian Dream was founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a former prime minister and billionaire who made his fortune in Russia.

Relations between the two countries have often been difficult since Georgia became independent after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

In 2008, Russia fought a brief war with Georgia, which made a botched attempt to regain control of the breakaway province of South Ossetia. Moscow then recognized South Ossetia and another breakaway province, Abkhazia, as independent states and strengthened its military presence there. Most of the world considers both regions to be part of Georgia.

Tbilisi has cut diplomatic ties with Moscow, and the status of the regions remains a key irritant, even as Russia-Georgia relations have improved in recent years.

Sophiko Megrelidze, Associated Press