Georgian “foreign agents” bill enforced

Identical to one in Russia, the bill “On Transparency of Foreign Influence” has officially become enforceable in Georgia after the speaker of the parliament signed it, ignoring President Salome Zourabichvili’s veto of the bill. The speaker of the parliament announced the news at a briefing.

The Georgia parliament rejected the president’s comments on the bill and overrode the presidential veto with 84 votes.
“This bill, in its essence and its spirit, is a Russian bill, and it contradicts our constitution and European standards. It is an obstacle on our way to Europe. The veto is legally correct and will be submitted to the Parliament today. The bill on foreign agents is not subject to any changes or improvements whatsoever. It must be withdrawn,” the president said when she vetoed the bill last Tuesday.

In Georgia’s legislative process, the president must sign a bill within five days once it passes three rounds of parliament voting. If the president refuses to do so, the speaker of the parliament must sign the bill, which is what has occurred in this instance.

As reported earlier, Ukrainian NGOs have appealed to the international community to protect the sovereignty of the Georgian people and their human rights, which are being violated by the “agents of foreign influence” bill approved by parliament. The draft law mandates nonprofit legal entities and media outlets that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad register as “agents of foreign influence” and be subject to rigorous government intervention.

RELATED: Georgia parliament approves ‘foreign influence’ bill

Main image: Zurab Tsertsvadze/AP

Source: RFE/RL’s Echo of the Caucasus

Copy editing: Terra Friedman King