Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 16th May. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Wednesday said that the adoption of the controversial “foreign agents” law in Georgia seriously undermines the freedoms of expression and association.
OHCHR noted that the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence requires media, NGOs and other nonprofits to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20 per cent of their funding from abroad. It was adopted on Tuesday.
The adoption has sparked protests in Tbilisi and has been denounced by Georgia’s opposition as an effort to crackdown on independent media, civil society, rights activists and government critics
Volker Türk said that in adopting the law, authorities and lawmakers “chose to disregard” the warnings raised by rights defenders and civil society.
He warned “The impacts on the rights to freedom of expression and association in Georgia unfortunately now risk being significant.”
The registration requirement could also have a chilling effect on those working for civic freedoms and significantly curtailing their activities, Mr. Türk added.
“Stifling diverse voices on matters of serious public interest will only complicate the Government’s ability to respond effectively to the many challenges facing the country with sound legislative and policy measures,” he said.
UN rights experts denounced the law’s adoption, which they said happened despite assurances after the withdrawal of another identical bill last year.
That bill was withdrawn in March 2023, following large scale protests, and in November, senior government officials and parliamentarians assured the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders that the draft would not be reintroduced.
“We are shocked that even in light of clear opposition by a significant segment of Georgia’s people, the law was expedited through Parliament with media and civil society representatives denied access to the proceedings,” the experts said.
They voiced serious concern at the speed of deliberations in Parliament, “which appear to have taken place without inclusive, transparent and genuine consultations with civil society, society at large and opposition parties.”
Mr. Türk called for the law to be shelved, and for the authorities to engage in dialogue with media, civil society organizations and human rights defenders.
The experts warned that if signed into law by the President, it would put Georgia in contravention of its human rights obligations, on freedom of association.
“For Georgia, this is a step in the wrong direction,” the experts said.
They stressed that “Human rights defenders, young people and peaceful protestors are not enemies of the state”.
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