Georgia’s parliament has adopted legislative amendments that significantly expand government oversight of foreign funding for local media and civil society organisations. The amendments also criminalise the questioning of the government’s legitimacy.
The changes, introduced earlier this year and adopted on Wednesday, 4 March, in their third and final reading, were supported by 78 MPs, with nine voting against. The amendments were initiated by the ruling Georgian Dream party amid increasing pressure on critics of the government.
Under the new rules, most foreign grants to Georgian citizens, residents, and legal entities will require prior approval from the government. The legislation also broadens the definition of a grant to include funds or in-kind contributions from foreign actors that authorities believe could influence the Georgian government, public opinion, or the country’s domestic or foreign policy.
The amendments expand the list of entities considered grant providers to include foreign citizens, and allow the state to classify certain forms of technical assistance as grants if they are deemed connected to political or public activities.
The new provisions also apply to organisations registered abroad but operating mainly in Georgia, which will now need government consent to receive foreign funding.
Critics have condemned the amendments as another step to restrict political freedoms and limit the work of independent media and civil society. The ruling Georgian Dream party says the measures are necessary to prevent what it describes as attempts by foreign donors to interfere in Georgia’s internal political processes.
Source: commonspace.eu with OC Media
