Last year, the Russia-friendly ruling party adopted a law branding NGOs and media receiving more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad as “foreign agents.” This week, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze doubled down on Western donors and their “coordinated work against the Georgian people and state,” saying foreign-funded NGOs attempted revolution.
Another bill will scrap the state’s obligations to involve civil society in legislative decision-making. “Nobody should be able to keep the country in a constant state of turbulence with non-existent problems and trumped up accusations,” Mdinaradze said.
On Thursday, the Georgian parliament also adopted a set of new laws tightening rules on assembly and demonstrations. One of the laws increased penalties for insulting a police officer on duty, which is now punishable by up to 60 days’ imprisonment. Penalties for disobeying a police officer have also increased.
Earlier the government amended laws on public service, simplifying procedures to dismiss public servants. Amid ongoing anti-government protests, multiple public servants reported they were fired over their participation in protests.
Journalists in Georgia told POLITICO that the government’s move is intended to silence critical voices.
“This will be used as a leverage for censorship and silencing media in the hands of the power that has no independent institutions, no independent courts,” said Lika Zakashvili, co-founder of local media outlet Publika.
