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In 2023 and 2024, a series of street demonstrations took place throughout
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
largely in opposition to the proposed "Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence", which would require
non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
s (NGOs) to register as foreign agents or "organizations carrying the interests of a foreign power" and disclose the sources of their income if the funds they receive from abroad amount to more than 20% of their total revenue. The central objection of the protesters was that the law would restrict the Western funding to the non-governmental organizations in Georgia and "alienate" Georgia from the "Western allies". Other critics, including the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
and other
Western countries The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to various nations and states in Western Europe, Northern America, and Australasia; with some debate as to whether those in Eastern Europe and Latin America also constitute the West. ...
, stated that the law would stifle
civil society Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.freedom of press Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic media, especially published materials, should be considered a right to be exerc ...
in Georgia. They have called the law " Russian-style" and "authoritarian". The proponents of the law, on the other hand, have criticized the unrestricted foreign funding of the local non-governmental organizations, saying that the law would protect the country's sovereignty and promote transparency and accountability of foreign influence. They also said that the law would apply to both the Russian and Western funding, and have criticized the foreign interference in the internal affairs of Georgia.


Background


Political context

,
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
and
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
were preparing to formally apply for EU membership in 2024 to join the European Union in the 2030s. Amid the 2022 escalation of the
Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...
, Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova jointly applied for EU membership in February and March 2022. On 23 June 2022, the
European Council The European Council (informally EUCO) is a collegiate body (directorial system) and a symbolic collective head of state, that defines the overall political direction and general priorities of the European Union (EU). It is composed of the he ...
granted
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
and
Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...
the status of a candidate for accession to the European Union. It deferred candidate status for Georgia until certain conditions were met. The European Council expressed readiness to grant Georgia the status of a candidate for accession to the European Union after a set of recommended reforms. The European Parliament adopted three non-binding resolutions criticizing Georgia. On 9 June 2022, the
European Parliament The European Parliament (EP) is one of the two legislative bodies of the European Union and one of its seven institutions. Together with the Council of the European Union (known as the Council and informally as the Council of Ministers), it ...
issued a six-page resolution accusing the government of Georgia of eroding press freedom in the country. It also recommended the
European Council The European Council (informally EUCO) is a collegiate body (directorial system) and a symbolic collective head of state, that defines the overall political direction and general priorities of the European Union (EU). It is composed of the he ...
to sanction the founder of the ruling
Georgian Dream Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia (GD), also colloquially known as the Kotsebi, is a Conservatism, conservative and populism, populist List of political parties in Georgia (country), political party in Georgia (country), Georgia, which has ...
party
Bidzina Ivanishvili Bidzina Ivanishvili (; born 18 February 1956), also known as Boris Grigoryevich Ivanishvili, is a French-Georgian businessman, politician and billionaire oligarch. He is founder and the leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party and has ruled G ...
for "his role in the deterioration of the political process in Georgia". On 14 December 2022, the European Parliament again called the European Council to sanction Ivanishvili, accusing him of deteriorating the democratic political process in Georgia, while also calling the Georgian government to immediately release the imprisoned former president
Mikheil Saakashvili Mikheil "Misha" Saakashvili (born 21 December 1967) is a Georgian and Ukrainian politician and jurist. He was the third president of Georgia for two consecutive terms from 25 January 2004 to 17 November 2013. He is the founder and former chair ...
on medical grounds to be treated in a special institution abroad. After the end of his presidency and his departure from Georgia, Saakashvili was sentenced in absentia in 2018 by the Tbilisi City Court for abuse of power, embezzlement and his implication in the beating of opposition MP Valery Gelashvili. A day prior to the October 2021 local elections, Saakashvili arrived clandestinely in Georgia from Ukraine, calling his supporters to gather in the capital after the elections, where he would join them. However, the same day his location was revealed by the police and he was arrested. In detention he began a
hunger strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance where participants fasting, fast as an act of political protest, usually with the objective of achieving a specific goal, such as a policy change. Hunger strikers that do not take fluids are ...
that lasted for 50 days, causing his health to deteriorate. The third resolution of the European Parliament irking Georgian Dream was passed on 14 February 2023, in which the Georgian government and Bidzina Ivanishvili were accused of mistreating Saakashvili in prison, once again calling for his release from prison and personal sanctions on Ivanishvili. The Georgian Dream party criticized the resolutions. Prime Minister
Irakli Garibashvili Irakli Garibashvili ( ka, ირაკლი ღარიბაშვილი, also transliterated as Gharibashvili; born 28 June 1982) is a Georgian politician and former business executive who served as the 15th prime minister of Georgia betwe ...
called them "irresponsible and offensive towards our people". Georgian Dream parliamentarian Dimitri Khundadze questioned Georgia's policy of EU membership, saying, "We won't give up our dignity to get andidatestatus! ..No one will intimidate Bidzina Ivanishvili or the Georgian state with threats of sanctions!". Following the EU's decision to set twelve conditions for Georgia in order to obtain the candidate status, a series of protests was organized in June–July 2022 by the
non-governmental organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
(NGO) ''Shame Movement''. The organizers blamed the Georgian government for the failure to secure EU candidate status for the country and called for its resignation, to be replaced with a
technical Technical may refer to: * Technical (vehicle), an improvised fighting vehicle * Technical area, an area which a manager, other coaching personnel, and substitutes are allowed to occupy during a football match * Technical advisor, a person who ...
interim government of "national accord" to implement the conditions set by the EU in order to get candidate status. The opposition welcomed this proposal, while Speaker of Parliament Shalva Papuashvili criticised the demand, saying "democracy does not work this way". He elaborated that the formation of a technical government was "nothing but a desire to seize power by bypassing democratic procedures". On 2 August 2022, MPs
Sozar Subari Sozar Subari ( ka, სოზარ სუბარი, ) (born November 4, 1964) is a Georgia (country), Georgian politician, journalist, and former human rights activist. He was formerly Georgia's Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from th ...
,
Mikheil Kavelashvili Mikheil Kavelashvili ( ka, მიხეილ ყაველაშვილი ; born 22 July 1971) is a Georgian politician and former professional footballer who was sworn in as the sixth president of Georgia on 29 December 2024. His electio ...
, Dimitri Khundadze and Guram Macharashvili left ruling Georgian Dream and established the People's Power movement. In October 2022 another five Georgian Dream MPs joined the movement, depriving the ruling party of its
parliamentary majority A majority government is a government by one or more governing parties that hold an absolute majority of seats in a legislature. Such a government can consist of one party that holds a majority on its own, or be a coalition government of multip ...
. At the same time the People's Power faction in parliament supported the government led by prime minister Irakli Garibashvili. Georgian Dream chairperson
Irakli Kobakhidze Irakli Kobakhidze ( ka, ირაკლი კობახიძე; born 25 September 1978) is a Georgian politician who haa been the 16th Prime Minister of Georgia, prime minister of Georgia since 2024 and has been the Georgian Dream#Leadershi ...
pledged to cooperate with People's Power on key issues. According to People's Power, their goal was to speak up and expose the truth "hidden behind the scenes of Georgian politics". The group published a number of public letters accusing the United States and European Union of trying to overthrow the Georgian government. It questioned American funding to Georgia, saying that the funding was largely directed to NGOs to promote American agenda under the guise of "strengthening democracy", while this practice was actually contradicting the principles of democracy and
popular sovereignty Popular sovereignty is the principle that the leaders of a state and its government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a State (polity), state. In the case of its broad associativ ...
. People's Power described a number of Georgian NGOs and political parties, including the Mikheil Saakashvili's United National Movement, as "American agents", while accusing EU and USA of trying to blackmail Georgia with the EU candidate status to free Saakashvili after a failed coup attempt. The People's Power movement also accused the US and EU of interfering in the country's internal affairs by undermining the Georgian judiciary. Judicial reforms were among the twelve conditions set by the EU for Georgia to get the candidate status, although according to People's Power, the proposal was aimed at "subjugating the Georgian judiciary to foreign control". In September 2022, the ruling Georgian Dream party contested the credibility of influential NGOs such as
Transparency International Transparency International e.V. (TI) is a German registered association founded in 1993 by former employees of the World Bank. Based in Berlin, its nonprofit and non-governmental purpose is to take action to combat global corruption with civil s ...
and ISFED, saying that they aligned with the opposition and violated the political neutrality by demanding the formation of technical government, with the chairman of ruling party
Irakli Kobakhidze Irakli Kobakhidze ( ka, ირაკლი კობახიძე; born 25 September 1978) is a Georgian politician who haa been the 16th Prime Minister of Georgia, prime minister of Georgia since 2024 and has been the Georgian Dream#Leadershi ...
questioning the transparency of their foreign funding. On 29 December 2022, the People's Power movement expressed its intention to draft a
foreign agent A foreign agent is any person or entity actively carrying out the interests of a foreign principal while located in another host country, generally outside the Diplomatic immunity, protections offered to those working in their official capacity fo ...
law to curb the alleged foreign influence in the country. On 15 February 2023, the draft "Law On Transparency of Foreign Influence" was submitted to Georgian Parliament.


Foreign agent bill

Under the bill, non-commercial legal entities (the most common form of NGO in Georgia), broadcasters, legal entities that alone or jointly own a print media outlet operating in Georgia, and legal entities that own or use, jointly or with others, an internet domain and/or internet hosting intended for the dissemination of information through the internet in the
Georgian language Georgian (, ) is the most widely spoken Kartvelian language, Kartvelian language family. It is the official language of Georgia (country), Georgia and the native or primary language of 88% of its population. It also serves as the literary langu ...
, must register as "agents of foreign influence". All such publicly registered organizations are subject to monitoring by the
Ministry of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
if they receive more than 20% of their annual income from "a foreign power". The draft law requires NGOs to disclose the source of their funds but does not imposes any restriction on their activities. The Georgian Dream supported the bill, saying that it would promote the financial transparency of foreign-funded NGOs. Georgian Dream and People's Power movement claimed the bill was based on the "American model", referring to the
Foreign Agents Registration Act The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) ( ''et seq.'') is a United States law that imposes Public disclosure of private facts, public disclosure obligations on Foreign agent, persons representing foreign interests.
in the United States. However, this comparison was dismissed as incorrect. The fundamental difference between the laws is that the US law does not target NGOs, but individuals who are employed by foreign governments. Responding to the criticism, on 21 February 2023 the People's Power registered alternative bill 'On the Registration of Foreign Agents Act', a verbatim translation of the US
Foreign Agents Registration Act The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) ( ''et seq.'') is a United States law that imposes Public disclosure of private facts, public disclosure obligations on Foreign agent, persons representing foreign interests.
. Georgian civil society organizations objected to the bill as a violation of fundamental human rights such as freedom of press. The bill represented an authoritarian shift and could have hurt Georgia's hopes of European Union membership, critics said. More than 60 civil society organizations and media outlets announced they would not comply with the bill if it is signed into law. Georgian Dream chair and MP Irakli Kobakhidze said Parliament would send the bill to the
Venice Commission The Venice Commission, officially European Commission for Democracy through Law, is an advisory body of the Council of Europe, composed of independent experts in the field of constitutional law. It was created in 1990 after the fall of the Berlin ...
of the
Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; , CdE) is an international organisation with the goal of upholding human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it is Europe's oldest intergovernmental organisation, represe ...
, expressing confidence the commission would have a positive assessment of the law.


Protests


2023

On 6 March 2023, a fight broke out between parliamentary deputies of the ruling coalition and the opposition during the Legal Affairs Committee hearing on the draft laws. Deputies from the National Movement and Strategy Aghmashenebeli opposition parties were expelled from the chamber to restore the order. The protests were held in front of the Parliament building calling the deputies to vote down the bills. On 7 March 2023, the parliament adopted a proposed "Law On Transparency of Foreign Influence" in the first reading, with 76 votes to 13. The protests were organized in front of the
Parliament of Georgia The Parliament of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს პარლამენტი, tr) is the supreme national legislature of Georgia. It is a unicameral parliament, currently consisting of 150 members elected through fully pr ...
, which later turned violent as the protesters tried to storm the building and threw Molotov cocktails at police. Police officers responded by using
tear gas Tear gas, also known as a lachrymatory agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the Mace (spray), early commercial self-defense spray, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the ey ...
and
water cannon A water cannon is a device that shoots a high-velocity stream of water. Typically, a water cannon can deliver a large volume of water, often over dozens of meters. They are used in firefighting, large vehicle washing, riot control, and mining. ...
s to disperse the protesters and restore the order. Georgia's
Interior Ministry An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, the ...
asked protesters to disperse, warning that "legal measures" would be taken to restore calm. The ministry reportedly said the protest went beyond the framework of a peaceful assembly and turned into violence. The ministry also said that police were also forced to use proportional force to restore public order. Georgian Prime Minister
Irakli Garibashvili Irakli Garibashvili ( ka, ირაკლი ღარიბაშვილი, also transliterated as Gharibashvili; born 28 June 1982) is a Georgian politician and former business executive who served as the 15th prime minister of Georgia betwe ...
reaffirmed his support for the law, saying the proposed provisions on foreign agents met "European and global standards". Meanwhile, President of Georgia
Salome Zourabichvili Salomé Nino Zourabichvili (born 18March 1952) is a French-born Georgian politician, former diplomat, and the fifth president of Georgia – the first female to be elected as president in the country's history. As a result of the constitutiona ...
, threw her support behind the protesters, saying "the path of European integration must be protected". She has said she would veto and repeal the bill. On 8 March 2023, tens of thousands of people protested in front of the parliament building, calling the parliament to suspend further discussions on the foreign agents law. Strategy Aghmashenebeli leader Giorgi Vashadze presented an ultimatum to parliament: reject the bills and release everyone who was detained on 7 March. On 9 March 2023, the ruling coalition announced that they would retract the bills. They said that more discussions with the public were required to convince the society of the importance of the legislation. The Interior Ministry announced later that day that everyone arrested on administrative charges on 7 and 8 March have been released. On 10 March 2023, one of the two bills was withdrawn by the ruling coalition, while the other was defeated in a formal second sitting vote in
Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
, with one vote in favour, 36 votes against, and 76 abstentions.


2024


April

On 3 April 2024, the
Georgian Dream Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia (GD), also colloquially known as the Kotsebi, is a Conservatism, conservative and populism, populist List of political parties in Georgia (country), political party in Georgia (country), Georgia, which has ...
(GD) party announced plans to bring back the bill, with a term "foreign agent" replaced with "organization carrying the interests of a foreign power". The leader of parliamentary majority
Mamuka Mdinaradze Mamuka Mdinaradze ( ka, მამუკა მდინარაძე; born 24 November 1978) is a Georgian politician and jurist. Education Mdinaradze graduated from the Law Faculty of the Tbilisi State University in 2000. In 2005, he became ...
said that the reason for reintroduction of the bill was the continued circulation of slush funds, he also said that the bill would target all foreign sources, including Russian. On 8 April, the Bureau of Parliament of Georgia registered the bill for the parliamentary discussions. More than 400 NGOs issued a joint statement against the bill. On 5 April, seven opposition parties –
Ahali Ahali (; ) is a liberal, pro-European political party in Georgia. It was founded in 2024 by Nika Melia, former chairman of the United National Movement, and Nika Gvaramia, former CEO of the Rustavi 2 TV channel and Mtavari Arkhi TV channel. It ...
, Girchi — More Freedom, Droa, United National Movement,
Lelo for Georgia Lelo burti, Lelo for Georgia ( ka, ლელო საქართველოსთვის, tr, ) is a Liberalism, liberal political party in Georgia (country), Georgia. It was established in 2019 by two businessmen Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri ...
, Republican Party of Georgia, and
Strategy Aghmashenebeli Yes to Europe – Strategy Aghmashenebeli ( ka, კი ევროპას – სტრატეგია აღმაშენებელი, tr), sometimes translated as Strategy Builder (named after the David IV of Georgia, King David IV o ...
– said they would coordinate parliamentary opposition to the bill. NATO Secretary General
Jens Stoltenberg Jens Stoltenberg (; born 16 March 1959) is a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party. Since 2025, he has been the Minister of Finance in the Støre Cabinet. He has previously been the prime minister of Norway and secretary general of NATO. ...
, European Union Spokesperson for External Affairs Peter Stano, German Foreign Office Spokesperson Sebastian Fischer and others voiced their opposition to the bill. The United States State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said to "stay tuned" as to possible sanctions against Georgian MPs who pass the law. The United States ambassador said that Georgia "does not need this law". President Salome Zurabishvili again announced her opposition to the bill. She said she would veto the bill and pardoned Lazare Grigoriadis, an activist who had been imprisoned last year for allegedly throwing a
Molotov cocktail A Molotov cocktail (among several other names – ''see '') is a hand-thrown incendiary weapon consisting of a frangible container filled with flammable substances and equipped with a Fuse (explosives), fuse (typically a glass bottle filled wit ...
at the police officers during the protests. Georgia's new Prime Minister
Irakli Kobakhidze Irakli Kobakhidze ( ka, ირაკლი კობახიძე; born 25 September 1978) is a Georgian politician who haa been the 16th Prime Minister of Georgia, prime minister of Georgia since 2024 and has been the Georgian Dream#Leadershi ...
slammed the "foreign diktat" and challenged foreign ambassadors for TV debate. He said that the ambassadors "are trying to assume the functions of the legislator, participate in the legislative process and dictate to the supreme body of the representative democracy which laws it should pass or not". The protests against the bill began in front of the Parliament building on 15 April. The same day, during the discussion of the bill at the Legal Affairs Committee, the opposition MP from
Citizens Citizenship is a membership and allegiance to a sovereign state. Though citizenship is often conflated with nationality in today's English-speaking world, international law does not usually use the term ''citizenship'' to refer to nationality; ...
party,
Aleko Elisashvili Aleksandre (Aleko) Elisashvili (born 17 January 1978) is a Georgians, Georgian political figure who has served in the Parliament of Georgia since 2020. Elisashvili started his political career as an activist within a civic preservation group. ...
,
physically assaulted In the terminology of law, an assault is the act of causing physical harm or unwanted physical contact to another person, or, in some legal definitions, the threat or attempt to do so. It is both a crime and a tort and, therefore, may result i ...
MP Mdinaradze. The protesters demanded the Committee not to approve the bill. The Interior Ministry urged the protesters not to exceed the boundaries of the freedom of speech established by the law. The police and the protesters clashed near the Parliament building, which led to the 14 protesters being arrested. The bill was approved by the Committee and handed for the discussions to the Parliament. On 16 April 2024, the Parliament voted 78 to 25 on a draft bill. The protesters threw blunt objects at the police, with four police officers being injured. The police using pepper spray to prevent further physical confrontation. On 17 April, approximately 35,000 protesters went on the streets of
Tbilisi Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი, ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), ( ka, ტფილისი, tr ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia ( ...
and blocked roads in front of the Georgian Parliament Building, there were also hundreds of riot police in the area to make arrests. The police reportedly found cold weapons on one of the protesters they arrested. Georgia's prime minister
Irakli Kobakhidze Irakli Kobakhidze ( ka, ირაკლი კობახიძე; born 25 September 1978) is a Georgian politician who haa been the 16th Prime Minister of Georgia, prime minister of Georgia since 2024 and has been the Georgian Dream#Leadershi ...
gave a press conference where he denounced the protesters as forces that "undermine Georgia's peace and stability". He also stated that CSOs attempted to “organize a revolution” from 2020 to 2022, "attack and discredit the
Georgian Orthodox Church The Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს სამოციქულო ავტოკეფალური მართლმადიდებელი ეკლესია, tr), commonl ...
", spread "LGBT propaganda" and initiate direct armed conflict with Russia as a "second front" in the
Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...
. He also denounced President Zurabishvili as an "agent of the Global Party of War" that was trying to "Ukrainize" Georgia. Kobakhidze stated that the bill was necessary to prevent the war propaganda in the country, saying that the NGOs joined the Ukrainian officials in calling Georgia to start a war against Russia, referring to the statement made by the Secretary of the National Security Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov, who had called Georgia to start a war against Russia by saying that Georgia would have "greatly aided" Ukraine by opening a "second front" against Russia. Kobakhidze also denounced
German Chancellor The chancellor of Germany, officially the federal chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, is the head of the federal government of Germany. The chancellor is the chief executive of the Federal Cabinet and heads the executive branch. Th ...
Olaf Scholz Olaf Scholz (; born 14 June 1958) is a German politician who served as the Chancellor of Germany from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Social Democratic Party (SPD), he previously served as Vice-Chancellor of Ge ...
and
NATO Secretary General The secretary general of NATO is the chief civil servant of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), an intergovernmental military alliance with 32 member states. The officeholder is an international diplomat responsible for coordinating th ...
Jens Stoltenberg Jens Stoltenberg (; born 16 March 1959) is a Norwegian politician from the Labour Party. Since 2025, he has been the Minister of Finance in the Støre Cabinet. He has previously been the prime minister of Norway and secretary general of NATO. ...
for their criticism of the bill as "unfounded". Speaker of Georgian parliament
Shalva Papuashvili Shalva Papuashvili ( ka, შალვა პაპუაშვილი; born 26 January 1976) is a Georgian politician who has served as a member of the Georgian parliament since 2020 and as Speaker of Parliament since 29 December 2021. Biogra ...
said that the NGOs funded by Denmark and the Netherlands have given the Georgian parliament an ultimatum, urging the embassies of Denmark and the Netherlands to clarify their positions, saying "I believe these embassies should state their position regarding the purpose of financing this NGO. Is it presenting ultimatums to the representative body of the Georgian people, dictating which laws to adopt and which not to?". He also said that such ultimatums were potentially inciting violence and threatening to turn peaceful protests into violent ones. The protesters marched towards the Atoneli Presidential Palace on 20 April to meet President
Salome Zourabichvili Salomé Nino Zourabichvili (born 18March 1952) is a French-born Georgian politician, former diplomat, and the fifth president of Georgia – the first female to be elected as president in the country's history. As a result of the constitutiona ...
and express support on her stance over vetoing the Transparency bill and pardoning Lazare Grigoriadis. The next day, protesters gathered in front of the Parliament building and blocked the
Rustaveli Avenue Rustaveli Avenue ( ka, რუსთაველის გამზირი, Rust'avelis Gamziri), formerly known as Golovin Street, is the central avenue in Tbilisi named after the medieval Georgian poet, Shota Rustaveli. The avenue starts at ...
, demanding the Parliament to retract the proposed bill. The European Parliament held a debate on the proposed legislation in Georgia. MEP Miriam Lexmann said that the bill would undermine "the work of civil society and independent media", calling the European Council to impose sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, the leader of the ruling party. She said that the European Union should "freeze the opening of any accession negotiations with Georgia" and make financial assistance to Georgia conditional on scrapping the legislation. MEP Mick Wallace instead condemned the EU and the US for using "our money" for setting up "parallel publics in non-EU countries like Georgia", saying that NGOs cared not about democracy but about money, adding that "unelected NGO representatives" serve "the strategic aims of the foreign paymasters".
Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
of the
Georgian Orthodox Church The Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს სამოციქულო ავტოკეფალური მართლმადიდებელი ეკლესია, tr), commonl ...
of the Dmanisi and Agarak-Tashiri Eparchy denounced the bill, claiming it "threatens to stigmatize individuals and organizations", is non-Christian and "a violation of the Constitution". He also claimed that the bill would classify the Church as a "foreign agent", although the bill contains exemptions for organizations engaged in religious and many other activities. The Georgian Parliament also held a debate on the bill where various GD MPs stated that not passing the bill would destroy Georgian identity and statehood while the opposition called it a Russophilic plot by
Bidzina Ivanishvili Bidzina Ivanishvili (; born 18 February 1956), also known as Boris Grigoryevich Ivanishvili, is a French-Georgian businessman, politician and billionaire oligarch. He is founder and the leader of the ruling Georgian Dream party and has ruled G ...
. By this point, voices within the opposition movement have suggested an armed struggle against the GD, which U.S. State Department spokesmen Vedant Patel denounced, calling for the protests to remain peaceful. On 25 April, the European Parliament issued a resolution with 425 votes in favor, 25 against, and 30 abstentions, condemning the Georgian foreign agents bill and freezing all Georgian ascension talks until the bill is dropped. The resolution also stated that the bill is in direct opposition to the
Copenhagen criteria The Copenhagen criteria are the rules that define whether a country is eligible to join the European Union. The criteria require that a state has the institutions to preserve democratic governance and human rights, has a functioning mark ...
, and if it were to pass Georgia would fundamentally be ineligible for EU membership. In response to an EU resolution that condemned the foreign agents bill stating that if it were to be passed it would make Georgia ineligible for EU membership,
Shalva Papuashvili Shalva Papuashvili ( ka, შალვა პაპუაშვილი; born 26 January 1976) is a Georgian politician who has served as a member of the Georgian parliament since 2020 and as Speaker of Parliament since 29 December 2021. Biogra ...
, the GD speaker of parliament called the resolution a "political statement" and a "scrap of paper" that has no legal force and "no value for our country", saying that the Georgia's desire to join the EU was used by the several MEPs as a tool for their own political agenda.
Mamuka Mdinaradze Mamuka Mdinaradze ( ka, მამუკა მდინარაძე; born 24 November 1978) is a Georgian politician and jurist. Education Mdinaradze graduated from the Law Faculty of the Tbilisi State University in 2000. In 2005, he became ...
, the GD majority leader called the resolution "another hoax and plain blackmail" and as "absolutely immoral and categorically unacceptable".
Kakha Kaladze Kakhaber "Kakha" Kaladze ( ka, კახაბერ "კახა" კალაძე, ; born 27 February 1978) is a Georgian politician and former footballer who has served as the Mayor of Tbilisi since November 2017. A versatile player, he ...
, the GD Secretary General called the resolution "trash" and "shameful" with the sole purpose "to agitate people, confuse our society, and incite the spark of protest". Meanwhile,
Giorgi Vashadze Giorgi Vashadze ( ka, გიორგი ვაშაძე; born 8 July 1981) is a Georgia (country), Georgian politician and international policy expert who served as a member of the Parliament of Georgia from 2012 to 2016 and from 2020 up ...
, MP for
Strategy Aghmashenebeli Yes to Europe – Strategy Aghmashenebeli ( ka, კი ევროპას – სტრატეგია აღმაშენებელი, tr), sometimes translated as Strategy Builder (named after the David IV of Georgia, King David IV o ...
stated that the EP resolution made it clear that the GD "chose a path which is not the choice of the Georgian people, that you went against the will of the citizens of Georgia". Levan Khabeishvili, Chairman of the UNM called for all Georgians to "engage in combat against the Russian law, against this government".
Mamuka Khazaradze Mamuka Khazaradze ( ka, მამუკა ხაზარაძე; born 29 December 1966) is a Georgian politician and entrepreneur. He is the Chairman of Lelo for Georgia, a centrist political party, full member of the ALDE Party in the Europ ...
, MP for
Lelo for Georgia Lelo burti, Lelo for Georgia ( ka, ლელო საქართველოსთვის, tr, ) is a Liberalism, liberal political party in Georgia (country), Georgia. It was established in 2019 by two businessmen Mamuka Khazaradze and Badri ...
called for "Mobilization of all forces" to defeat the bill. Later that night over 100 CSOs adopted resolutions stating that even if the bill were to pass they would refuse to cooperate with the government, refuse to join a registry, and refuse to report information to the government. On 26 April, a member of the Telavi City Council for GD, Levan Berdzenashvili, spoke out against the foreign agents law stating that if the law is passed Georgia will "lose everything that has to do with Europe" and called on fellow members of the party to "vote their conscience" and defeat the bill in parliament. That same day Tbilisi City Court Judge Koba Chagunava ordered members of the opposition who were protesting against the bill to pay a fine for "disobedience to the lawful request of a police officer" and petty hooliganism. MEP Katarína Roth Neveďalová stated that lately the EP often resorted to calling everything they don't like "pro-Russian" or "Russian", and stressed that while MEPs can have their opinions on the bill, in the end "the decision on the adoption of the bill had to be made by the Georgian authorities". On 28 April 50 to 60 thousand protesters gathered at First Republic Square in Tbilisi and marched to the Georgian parliament, demanding the withdrawal of the bill. The police was deployed to the scene. During the protests Aleksi Petriashvili, a former Free Democrats State Minister in the first Georgian Dream government, was arrested for "petty hooliganism" and "resisting the police". The Business Association of Georgia (BAG), a CSO and
professional society A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) is a group that usually seeks to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that prof ...
that represents 1200 medium to large business politically, expressed support for the GD government stating that the political instability brought on by the foreign agents bill is bad for business, and that GD should communicate with the public better. It also said it "will not and cannot enter into the substantive discussion of the above-mentioned draft law". Additionally, the Legal Issues Committee of the Parliament held their second hearing of the bill, where committee chairman expelled several opposition MPs due to their detraction from the bill citing violations of the rules of procedure. Committee chairman Anri Okhanashvili would then be denounced in a joint statement by 20 CSOs for "abusing power and restricting the ability of lawmakers". Another joint statement, this time by 60 former Georgian diplomats, including 28 ambassadors and 5 foreign ministers, denounced the GD stating that the party is under total control of Bidzina Ivanishvili, and that "Georgian Dream changed the foreign policy course from the West to Russia". The Parliament of Georgia launched a second hearing of the draft law on foreign influence on 29 April. The Legal Committee approved the bill with 2nd reading. On the same day, the ruling Georgian Dream held a public rally in support of the bill. Bidzina Ivanishvili, chairman of the Georgian Dream party, addressed the participants of the rally. He said that the foreign-funded NGOs organized a
Rose Revolution The Rose Revolution or Revolution of Roses ( ka, ვარდების რევოლუცია, tr) was a nonviolent change of power that occurred in Georgia in November 2003. The event was brought about by widespread protests over the ...
in Georgia and that
Mikheil Saakashvili Mikheil "Misha" Saakashvili (born 21 December 1967) is a Georgian and Ukrainian politician and jurist. He was the third president of Georgia for two consecutive terms from 25 January 2004 to 17 November 2013. He is the founder and former chair ...
's government was appointed from abroad, calling it an "inhumane and sadistic dictatorship" and a "pseudo-elite nurtured by a foreign country". He also said that the "
Global War Party The "Global War Party" (Georgian language, Georgian: გლობალური ომის პარტია, ''globaluri omis p’art’ia'') is a conspiracy theory created and advanced by Georgian Dream, a List of political parties in Geor ...
" has pushed Georgia into a conflict with Russia in 2008 and Ukraine in 2014–2022. He stated that they wanted to "return their agents" to power to open a second front against Russia in Georgia. He called EP resolution on Georgia an "interference into Georgia's internal affairs" and a work of the "Global War Party", calling it an "aggression" and saying that the "main reason for the Global War Party's aggression towards Georgia is that, despite great efforts, it could not turn Georgia into a 2nd front". He added that they would not succeed because "modern Georgia is neither Shevardnadze's Georgia nor Yanukovich's Ukraine". He also said that in 2012 when Georgian Dream came to power it could not punish the United National Movement for its crimes because of Western support for the UNM and that after 2024 election the UNM would be given "harsh political and legal judgement it deserves for the nine years of bloody rule". Salome Zurabishvili, in an interview with
Radio France Internationale Radio France Internationale, usually referred to as RFI, is the State media, state-owned international radio news network of France. With 59.5 million listeners in 2022, it is one of the most-listened-to international radio stations in the world ...
, called on the Georgian people to vote out the GD and reaffirm their "European choice" in the
2024 Georgian parliamentary election Parliamentary elections were held in Georgia (country), Georgia on 26 October 2024. The elections were held under the rules passed in 2017 through the constitutional amendments which shifted the electoral system towards a fully proportional r ...
. On 30 April, protesters and the police clashed near the entrance of the Parliament building. According to the Ministry of the Internal Affairs, 63 people were arrested on administrative charges of petty hooliganism and disobeying the legal request of the police. According to the Health Ministry, six policemen and five protesters were seriously injured during the clashes. The MIA has launched a criminal investigation of the incident. UNM chairman and MP Levan Khabeishvili was among the ones who received an injury and suffered lacerations to the face, a bruised eye, and a broken nose.


May

The Parliament of Georgia voted in favor of the bill on its second reading on 1 May, with 83 votes to 23. MP Khabeishvili gave a speech before parliament prior to the vote in a face cast and wheelchair. In his speech Khabeishvili alleged the police sought him out as an opposition member and concluded: "I may not be able to see with my eye, but Georgia will open its eyes and see clearly." Shortly after the vote Khabeishvili posted a video to
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
urging a continued struggle against Putinists. Simultaneously the protesters outside attempted to break through the closed gates into the yard of the parliament but were beaten back by riot police. According to the Ministry of Health, 15 people were hospitalized, including police. Shortly after the altercation, President Zurabishvili called for calm and for the protests to remain non-violent again urging for the defeat of GD in the polls. The protests continued the next days, and the Georgian Parliament enforced red level of security on 2 May to ensure the safety amid the clashes and what it called an attack on the Parliament building by the opposition. The same day the protesters besieged the Parliament building and faced off the police stationed inside the parliament's courtyard. The riot police had to use tear gas, water cannons, and pepper spray to disperse the protesters. The next day, the protesters organized a rally at the Paragraph Hotel which was hosting an annual meeting of the
Asian Development Bank The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank to promote social and economic development in Asia. The bank is headquartered in Metro Manila, Philippines and maintains 31 field offices around the world. The bank was establishe ...
, during which the one protester was detained for verbally insulting the police, while on 9 May, Tbilisi Police Department reported arresting six people during the clashes a day before. An estimated 50,000 protesters gathered and marched through the central Tbilisi prior to the beginning of third hearing of the bill, on 11 May. Protesters marched to the capital's Europe Square holding Georgian and European flags, chanting ''"no to the Russian law"''. The same day seven opposition parties — Ahali, United National Movement, Lelo, Girchi – More Freedom, Droa and Strategy Builder — issued a joint statement, saying that the bill would be unacceptable no matter how much revised, calling the parliamentary majority to scrap the bill altogether. On 12 May, Protesters said that they would stay overnight as third hearing of the bill in the Legal Affair Committee was scheduled for the next day. The road leading to the Parliament building through the Rustaveli Avenue was blocked. The Legal Affairs Committee backed the bill in the third reading. Protesters clashed with police at the Parliament's entrance, and twenty were arrested, including two Americans and a Russian. The Parliament passed the draft law with the third reading at the plenary session on 14 May, with 84 votes to 30. At the same time, the protests were held outside the Parliament building, and the deputies brawled inside the Parliament. UNM,
Lelo LELO is a Swedish company that designs and sells upmarket sex toys. Lelo may also refer to: * ''Lelo'' (newspaper), a Georgian language sports newspaper * Lelo, a style of Georgian wine * Lelo, a try in the game of rugby union * Lelo burti, lit ...
and Strategy Builder announced parliamentary boycott, saying they would no longer participate in parliamentary work.
For Georgia Gakharia For Georgia ( ka, გახარია საქართველოსთვის, tr) is a political party in Georgia founded by former Georgian Prime Minister from the Georgian Dream party Giorgi Gakharia. It is currently in oppos ...
party opted not to join boycotting parties, saying that it would continue to fight Georgian Dream government using "all available platforms, whether on the streets or within the parliament". The Parliament of Georgia stated that it would operate under red security level amid tensions. Amid clashes between the protesters and the police, the
MIA Mia, Mía, MIA, or M.I.A. may refer to: Music Artists * M.I.A. (rapper) (born 1975), English rapper and singer * M.I.A. (American band), 1980s punk rock band from Orange County, California * MIA. (German band), a German rock/pop band formed i ...
issued a statement, saying that the protests turned violent and calling the demonstrators to abide by the "norms established by the law". Police arrested 13 people on 14 May. The next day, protesters were joined by the foreign ministers of
Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...
,
Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...
,
Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
and
Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...
, who arrived to Georgia to hold meetings with President Salome Zourabichvili, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and others. The Speaker of Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili condemned the participation of the foreign politicians in the protests as an "unfriendly act". The protesters marched to the Parliament building from different locations on 18 May. The same day, President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili put a veto on the Transparency Bill. On 24 May, protesters marched at Freedom Square and Mother's Garden, set to culminate the rally at the Interior Ministry, demanding the immediate release of those arrested during recent protests. On 28 May, The Parliament voted 84 votes to 4 to override the veto put on the bill by the President. Members of the opposition abstained from the vote. Protesters gathered around the Parliament building to protest the outcome, with many also protesting marching around the Georgian Dream party headquarters. On 31 May, Lithuanian Ambassador to Georgia, Andrius Kalindra was summoned by the Georgian foreign office over the presence of the country's Foreign Minister at Tbilisi rallies.


June

The rally-concert was held by the Georgian bands and signers on 2 June with the aim of collecting donations for those arrested and fined at the protests, with the organizers raising USD 124 700 by the next day. President
Salome Zourabichvili Salomé Nino Zourabichvili (born 18March 1952) is a French-born Georgian politician, former diplomat, and the fifth president of Georgia – the first female to be elected as president in the country's history. As a result of the constitutiona ...
refused to sign the bill into the law, after which it was forwarded to the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament
Shalva Papuashvili Shalva Papuashvili ( ka, შალვა პაპუაშვილი; born 26 January 1976) is a Georgian politician who has served as a member of the Georgian parliament since 2020 and as Speaker of Parliament since 29 December 2021. Biogra ...
, who signed the bill into the effect as required by the constitution, with Papuashvili saying: "today, I signed the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence, the primary objective of which implies the enhancement of the resilience of the political, economic and social systems of Georgia without external interventions". The protesters met in front of the Georgian Parliament on 5 June with a plan of moving towards the Georgian Dream headquarters to protest against the law. On 1 August 2024, the Law of Transparency of Foreign Influence came into effect.


Reactions


European Union

European Union foreign policy head
Josep Borrell Josep Borrell Fontelles (; born 24 April 1947) is a Spanish politician who served as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission from 2019 to 2024. A member of the Spani ...
said the draft law was a "very bad development" for Georgia and its people, with a "chilling effect on civil society and media organizations". According to him the bill could seriously affect Georgian ties with the EU and he "urged Georgia to uphold its commitment to the promotion of democracy, the rule of law and human rights". The US and the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
jointly said that it would be hard for Georgia to join NATO or the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
if the bill became law. On 17 April 2024,
Josep Borrell Josep Borrell Fontelles (; born 24 April 1947) is a Spanish politician who served as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission from 2019 to 2024. A member of the Spani ...
, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and
Olivér Várhelyi Olivér Várhelyi (; born 22 March 1972) is a Hungarian lawyer and diplomat who is the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, European Commissioner for Health and Animal Welfare in the von der Leyen Commission II since December 2024. ...
, Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, issued a joint statement on the bill, saying that they found it "concerning" that the Georgian Parliament passed the bill "despite repeated calls by the European Union to retract such legislation". On 27 April 2024, Lithuanian President
Gitanas Nausėda Gitanas Nausėda (; ; born 19 May 1964) is a Lithuanian politician, economist, and banker who is serving as the ninth and incumbent president of Lithuania since 2019. Born in Klaipėda, Nausėda graduated from Vilnius University with an economic ...
said that the bill would "distance eorgiafrom European ideals" and that the European Union "should react on this". On 11 May, the EU ambassador to Georgia Paweł Herczyński stated that the bill "must not be passed in its current form". The
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
scrambled to adopt a common position regarding a Georgia draft law. A joint EU27 statement had been negotiated by the EU member states since 13 May, but it ultimately failed to materialise as
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
and
Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...
blocked the initiative against the bill, objecting on the premise that they "did not think it is right for the EU to interfere in the domestic politics of a third country". On 13 May 2024, Foreign Affairs Chair of German Parliament Michael Roth urged Georgia to withdraw the bill. On 15 May, Josep Borrell with the European Commission issued a Statement on the adoption of the bill by Georgian MPs which took place on 14 May. He stated that the EU stands with the Georgian protestors and condemns "the intimidation, threats and physical assaults on civil society representatives, political leaders and journalists, as well as their families" as "unacceptable". He concluded that "the adoption of this law negatively impacts Georgia's progress on the EU path. ..We urge the Georgian authorities to withdraw the law, uphold their commitment to the EU path and advance the necessary reforms detailed in the 9 steps. The EU stands ready to continue supporting Georgians working towards a European future." On the same day, Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Estonia, Iceland and Lithuania arrived to Georgia to hold meetings with Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, President Salome Zourabichvili and others. Afterwards, they arrived to the Rustaveli Avenue to join the protests. Georgia's Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ilia Darchiashvili Ilia Darchiashvili ( ka, ილია დარჩიაშვილი; born 21 February 1981) is a Georgian government official, diplomat, and a former bank manager, who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia from 4 April 2022 to ...
said that participation of foreign ministers in the opposition-organized protests is "unacceptable". On 18 May, Latvian Foreign Minister
Baiba Braže Baiba Braže (born 4 December 1966) is a Latvian politician and diplomat who has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (Latvia), Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2024. She previously served as the NATO, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Publi ...
urged Georgia to reconsider its decision to pass the Transparency Law.


Georgia

In May 2024, the chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, Anri Okhanashvili said that passing the bill is necessary because foreign funding of the organizations is not just "charity", but there are specific purposes and interests behind it, therefore these organizations need to register as "carriers of the interests of a foreign power". The speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili stated that the bill would serve the interests of the Georgian people and that it was natural that the "foreign countries do not have interest in having their influence transparent". He said that the NGOs like
National Endowment for Democracy The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organization in the United States founded in 1983 with the stated aim of advancing democracy worldwide and counter communism, communist influence abroad, by prom ...
secretly financed the radical opposition groups in Georgia and that the United States and the European Union opposed the bill because they did not want their influence to become transparent, and that they encouraged what he described as a disinformation campaign and hysteria against the proposed law.


Abkhazia

In 2023, Inal Ardzinba, who is
Minister for Foreign Affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral re ...
of
Abkhazia Abkhazia, officially the Republic of Abkhazia, is a List of states with limited recognition, partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia. It cover ...
, a breakaway state internationally recognized as part of Georgia, said that the United States was trying to carry out a coup in Georgia to destabilize the region and launch a "second front" of the
Russo-Ukrainian War The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...
in the
South Caucasus The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and West Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Armenia, ...
.


Russia

Maria Zakharova Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova (, ; born 24 December 1975) is a Russian politician who serves as the director of the information and press department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Russia), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federa ...
criticized the European Union's position regarding situation in Georgia and accused
Josep Borrell Josep Borrell Fontelles (; born 24 April 1947) is a Spanish politician who served as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission from 2019 to 2024. A member of the Spani ...
of "crossing the limits of decency" and "putting pressure on Georgian citizens". The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Russia,
Sergey Lavrov Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov (, ; born 21 March 1950) is a Russian diplomat who has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs (Russia), Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2004. He is the longest-serving Russian foreign minister since Andrei Gromyko d ...
compared the situation in Georgia to the
Euromaidan Euromaidan ( ; , , ), or the Maidan Uprising, was a wave of Political demonstration, demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on 21 November 2013 with large protests in Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in Kyiv. The p ...
in Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation warned Georgians on consequences of such developments. Russian President Vladimir Putin's press secretary
Dmitry Peskov Dmitry Sergeyevich Peskov (, ; born 17 October 1967) is a Russian diplomat serving as the Kremlin Press Secretary, spokesman for President of Russia, Russian president Vladimir Putin since 2012.Foreign Agents Registration Act The Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) ( ''et seq.'') is a United States law that imposes Public disclosure of private facts, public disclosure obligations on Foreign agent, persons representing foreign interests.
in the United States. He also added that Russia was monitoring the situation and that it was interested that the situation remained peaceful near its border. The Russian Ministry of Economic Development recommended Russian citizens to refrain from travelling to Georgia.


Turkey

On 16 May 2024, during the meeting with Georgia's Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, President of Turkey
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician who is the 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as the 25th prime minister of Turkey, prime minister from 2003 to 2014 as part of the Jus ...
discussed the protests in Georgia and said that on behalf of his country he hoped that the situation would be resolved "in best interests of Georgian people".


Ukraine

In March 2023, Ukrainian President
Volodymyr Zelenskyy Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy (born 25 January 1978) is a Ukrainian politician and former entertainer who has served as the sixth and current president of Ukraine since 2019. He took office five years after the start of the Russo-Ukraini ...
had said the
Georgian people Georgians, or Kartvelians (; ka, ქართველები, tr, ), are a nation and Caucasian ethnic group native to present-day Georgia and surrounding areas historically associated with the Georgian kingdoms. Significant Georgian diasp ...
and the protests that took place as a sign of "victory for
democracy Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...
". As well as a statement on how the Ukrainian people hoped for success in Georgia when it occurred on 7 March, just when the protests had started.


China

In August 2024, the Chinese Foreign Ministry published a report "The National Endowment for Democracy: What It Is and What It Does", which accused the
National Endowment for Democracy The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organization in the United States founded in 1983 with the stated aim of advancing democracy worldwide and counter communism, communist influence abroad, by prom ...
(NED) of acting as the
US government The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct branches: legislative, execut ...
's "white glove" and engaging in "evil deeds": "subverting state power in other countries, meddling in other countries' internal affairs, inciting division and confrontation, misleading public opinion, and conducting ideological infiltration, all under the pretext of promoting democracy". In the "Inciting division and confrontation to undermine the stability of other countries" chapter, the report accused the NED of funding the local NGOs in Georgia since the beginning of the 21st century to instigate protests. According to the report, this includes rallying support for and instigating the 2024 protests against the foreign agents bill in Georgia.


United States

Spokesman for the United States Department of State Ned Price criticized the bill and likened it to Hungarian and
Russian foreign agent law The Russian foreign agent law requires any person or organization receiving any form of support from outside Russia or deemed to be under foreign influence to register as a "foreign agent". Unlike the United States Foreign Agents Registration Act ...
s. The US Embassy in Georgia said the bill was Kremlin-inspired and was incompatible with the people of Georgia's clear desire for European integration and democratic development. The statement said the law would damage Georgia's relations with its strategic partners. Ned Price supported the 2023 protests and said that "the United States has tools to hold accountable those who contradict the will of Georgian people", hinting at potential sanctions on Georgian officials, in a question time on 7 March. Assistant Secretary of State Todd Robinson, former ambassador to Venezuela, heavily criticized the legislation from Tbilisi, where he arrived 1 day before the protests erupted for a "women in policing" event, calling it "a law based on Russia's interest, not Georgia's interest". On 26 April 2024, Deputy Spokesperson of US State Departament Vedant Patel said that the State Department found Georgian Transparency bill to be "incredibly troubling". On 27 April,
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...
s
Jim Risch James Elroy Risch ( ; born May 3, 1943) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the junior United States senator from Idaho since 2009. A member of the Republican Party, he served as lieutenant governor of Idaho under governors ...
( R- ID), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and
Jeanne Shaheen Cynthia Jeanne Shaheen ( ; née Bowers, born January 28, 1947) is an American politician and former educator serving since 2009 as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from New Hampshire. A ...
( D- NH), Chair of the Europe and Regional Security Cooperation Subcommittee, co-wrote a bipartisan letter signed by 12 of their colleagues expressing "profound concern" about the foreign agents bill, warning that its passage would mark "a shift in U.S. policy toward Georgia". The letter called CSOs the "lifeblood of Georgian democracy" that have invested million of
dollars Dollar is the name of more than 25 currencies. The United States dollar, named after the international currency known as the Spanish dollar, was established in 1792 and is the first so named that still survives. Others include the Australian d ...
"to support Georgia's sovereignty and democratic transition" and that if the bill were to be passed it would "cast Georgia's strongest partners, the United States and European Union, as malign actors". The letter also said that if the bill were passed, the Senate would begin proceedings into sanctioning GD leadership and lawmakers, the end of U.S. financial assistance to Georgia, and the expansion of visa bans to the United States. On 14 May, U.S. officials threatened to sanction Georgian politicians due to the approval of the bill by Georgian MPs. After speaking with Georgian officials, Assistant Secretary of State Jim O’Brien told the press: "If the law goes forward out of
conformity Conformity or conformism is the act of matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to social group, group norms, politics or being like-minded. Social norm, Norms are implicit, specific rules, guidance shared by a group of individuals, that guide t ...
with EU norms and there's undermining of democracy here and there's violence against peaceful protesters, then we will see restrictions coming from the United States. Those tend to be financial and/or travel restrictions on the individuals responsible for those actions and their families." Additionally, the White House Press Secretary,
Karine Jean-Pierre Karine Jean-Pierre (born August 13, 1974) is an American political advisor who served as the White House Press Secretary, White House press secretary from May 2022 to January 2025, and a senior advisor to President Joe Biden from October 2024 t ...
told
TURAN Information Agency Turan Information Agency () was a news agency based in Baku, Azerbaijan. It published in three languages: Azerbaijani, English, and Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living ...
that the U.S. expects the President of Georgia to veto the bill. She elaborated that if the parliament overrides the potential veto and if the legislation, which runs counter to the democratic EU and NATO values, were to pass, then "it will compel us to fundamentally reassess our relationship with Georgia". On 23 May, Secretary of State
Antony Blinken Antony John Blinken (born April 16, 1962) is an American lawyer and diplomat who served as the 71st United States secretary of state from 2021 to 2025. He previously served as Deputy National Security Advisor, deputy national security advisor ...
announced a visa restriction policy targeting individuals involved in "undermining democracy in Georgia" and initiated a comprehensive review of all U.S.-Georgia cooperation. The restrictions apply to those responsible for "suppressing civil society and freedom of peaceful assembly through violence or intimidation". Blinken criticized the "foreign influence law" passed by the ruling
Georgian Dream Georgian Dream – Democratic Georgia (GD), also colloquially known as the Kotsebi, is a Conservatism, conservative and populism, populist List of political parties in Georgia (country), political party in Georgia (country), Georgia, which has ...
party, stating it would stifle freedoms of association and expression, stigmatize organizations "serving Georgian citizens", and impede independent media. The visa restrictions will affect individuals complicit in "undermining democracy in Georgia", including their family members. Blinken's statement highlighted that in response to public opposition to the law, the authorities launched "a campaign of intimidation and violence" against peaceful dissent. He noted that both the "national security law" and the repressive tactics used to quell legitimate dissent "undermine Georgia's democracy" and contradict its long-stated goal of Euro-Atlantic integration and strategic partnership with the United States. Furthermore, the restrictions extend to individuals "undermining democratic processes or institutions", particularly in the context of Georgia's October 2024 elections. The policy also covers the immediate family members of such individuals. Blinken announced a comprehensive review of bilateral cooperation between the United States and Georgia, expressing hope that Georgia's leaders would reconsider the draft law and take steps towards their nation's "democratic and Euro-Atlantic aspirations". The outcomes of this review will influence future U.S. actions and decisions regarding the relationship between the two countries. On August 9, Georgia's Presidential Administration released a letter from
U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
to President
Salome Zourabichvili Salomé Nino Zourabichvili (born 18March 1952) is a French-born Georgian politician, former diplomat, and the fifth president of Georgia – the first female to be elected as president in the country's history. As a result of the constitutiona ...
, marking the 16th anniversary of Russia's invasion. Biden condemned Russia's ongoing occupation of Georgian territories and reaffirmed U.S. support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. In his letter, Biden also acknowledged the Georgian people's aspirations for Euro-Atlantic integration, praising their commitment to a democratic future. However, he expressed disappointment with the Georgian government's recent actions, specifically referencing the controversial “foreign agents” law and misleading statements by officials that conflict with European Union and NATO standards. Despite these concerns, Biden emphasized the strong, enduring partnership between the United States and Georgia, grounded in shared values of peace, stability, freedom, and human rights.


Venice Commission

In May 2024, during the second attempt to adopt the law, the
Venice Commission The Venice Commission, officially European Commission for Democracy through Law, is an advisory body of the Council of Europe, composed of independent experts in the field of constitutional law. It was created in 1990 after the fall of the Berlin ...
strongly recommended to "repeal the law in its current form, as its fundamental flaws will involve significant negative consequences for the freedoms of association and expression, the right to privacy, the right to participate in public affairs as well as the prohibition of discrimination". The commission concluded the law is not compatible with six articles of the
European Convention on Human Rights The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR; formally the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms) is a Supranational law, supranational convention to protect human rights and political freedoms in Europe. Draf ...
and
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is a multilateral treaty that commits nations to respect the civil and political rights of individuals, including the right to life, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom ...
. It also regretted the law was adopted while disregarding the objections in Georgian society and concluded "this manner of proceeding does not meet the European requirements of democratic law-making". Georgian Dream rejected the report, saying there are "many unsubstantiated and conflicting legal reasonings as well as a number of gross distortions of facts", which "undermines the credibility of the institution and the values it should serve".


See also

*
Foreign funding of NGOs Foreign funding of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) is a controversial issue in some countries. In the late Cold War and afterward, foreign aid tended to be increasingly directed through NGOs, leading to an explosion of NGOs in the Global Sout ...
*
Foreign agent A foreign agent is any person or entity actively carrying out the interests of a foreign principal while located in another host country, generally outside the Diplomatic immunity, protections offered to those working in their official capacity fo ...
* 2007 Georgian demonstrations *
2011 Georgian protests The 2011 Georgian protests were a series of anti-government protests in Georgia against President Mikheil Saakashvili. Events The protests began on 21 May 2011 when over 10,000 Georgians attended a demonstration in Tbilisi demanding Georgian P ...
*
2019 Georgian protests The 2019 protests in Georgia, commonly known as Gavrilov's Night ( ka, გავრილოვის ღამე), refers to a series of anti-government and snap election-demanding protests in the country of Georgia. Background Political cont ...
*
2020–2021 Georgian political crisis The 2020–2021 Georgian political crisis was a political crisis in Georgia that resulted from allegations by opposition parties that the 2020 Georgian parliamentary election was rigged. The opposition accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of ...
*
2024–2025 Georgian protests The 2024–2025 Georgian protests began on 28 October 2024 after the preliminary official results of the 2024 Georgian parliamentary election, parliamentary election of 26 October were announced. The ruling Georgian Dream party, led by Bidzina I ...
* 2025 Slovak protests


Notes


References


Further reading


''The 8th of March in Tbilisi: The "Laws Story"''
— Opinions of Georgian NGO leaders published by ''Caucasian Journal'', 10 March 2023. {{DEFAULTSORT:Georgian protests, 2023-2024 2023 protests 2024 protests 2020s in Tbilisi
Protests A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration, or remonstrance) is a public act of objection, disapproval or dissent against political advantage. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate ...
Protests A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration, or remonstrance) is a public act of objection, disapproval or dissent against political advantage. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate ...
Protests A protest (also called a demonstration, remonstration, or remonstrance) is a public act of objection, disapproval or dissent against political advantage. Protests can be thought of as acts of cooperation in which numerous people cooperate ...
2023-2024 Georgia (country)–European Union relations Georgia (country)–Russia relations Anti-Russian sentiment 2023 in Georgia (country) 2024 in Georgia (country)