The Legal Affairs Committee of the Georgian Parliament approved on Monday a bill on transparency of “foreign influence” in its third hearing, seen as a final step before it goes for a vote in parliament.
The bill was reintroduced by the ruling Georgian Dream party despite public protests. The proposed law calls for registering non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in Georgia that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power”. The approval of the bill during the committee session took place amidst a protest rally outside the parliament.
Anri Okhanashvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, stated that the content changes of the legislation were not discussed during the third hearing. He emphasised that the committee meeting had followed the appropriate procedures.
In mid-April, the Georgian Parliament approved the bill’s first reading, which has generated public protests and criticism from some of the country’s foreign partners. Critics say the bill is styled after similar legislation in Russia that has been used to crack down on dissent.
The bill will be voted on during a plenary session of the Parliament on Tuesday. However, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili announced on Sunday her intention to veto the controversial bill.
Our journalists are working on this story and will update it as soon as more information becomes available.
