The Georgian Dream party on Wednesday revived the so-called foreign agent law, a controversial proposal to brand charities, pressure groups and opposition media outlets receiving funding from overseas as agents of foreign influence.
The Georgian government already attempted last year to introduce the law — which resembles similar legislation used by Moscow to crack down on the opposition — but was forced to “unconditionally withdraw” the proposal amid massive public outcry and huge street protests in Tbilisi.
“The EU regrets that it is once again being considered despite strong public and international reactions in March 2023,” the EU’s statement added.
Georgia was granted EU candidate status in December 2023, despite Brussels warning that the country is at risk of backsliding on democracy and human rights.
Just last week, the Georgian government announced it would introduce a bill to criminalize the promotion of same-sex relationships, similar to Russia’s tough “LGBTQ+ propaganda” rules.
