Search Results for: Georgian president vetoes \'foreign agent\' law

Georgian media site Radio Free Europe (Radio Limited) revealed on Sunday that Georgia’s largest opposition party, United National Movement, intends to file a challenge against the state’s new foreign agent law on July 29. The controversial legislation challenged by the party requires media, non-profits, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) receiving greater than 20 percent of their [...]

The EU ambassador to Georgia, Pawel Herczynski, confirmed the EU’s decision to halt Georgia’s accession process and freeze a portion of its financial support to the country on Tuesday. The decision comes in response to a newly adopted Georgian law that critics argue curbs democratic freedoms. Herczynski stated, “Regrettably, Georgia’s EU accession process is stopped [...]

The US imposed visa restrictions on dozens of Georgian officials on Thursday, just three days after Georgia’s parliament enacted its controversial “foreign agent” law. The restrictions apply to between “two and three dozen” unnamed members of the Georgian Dream party, members of parliament, law enforcement officials, and private citizens. US Department of State Spokesperson Matthew [...]

Georgia enacted a controversial “foreign agent” bill on Monday despite large-scale demonstrations against the law and international opposition. Georgian parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili signed the law On Transparency of Foreign Influence, also known as the law on foreign agents” or the “Russian law,” which was subsequently published on the country’s Legislative Bulletin website. According to [...]

The ruling Georgian Dream party overrode a veto from President Salome Zourabichvili Tuesday allowing controversial “foreign influence” legislation affecting media and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the country to become law. The parliament overwhelmingly voted with 66 votes in favor of overriding Zourabichvili’s veto and voted with a majority of 84-4 votes in favor of the bill, [...]

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced visa restrictions Thursday against Georgia citizens involved in suppressing dissent toward the country’s “foreign influence” law that will require media companies and non-governmental organizations with foreign backing to register as organizations acting in the interest of foreign powers. The DOJ criticized the Georgian government for using “repressive tactics” [...]

President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili on Friday vetoed a controversial “foreign agents” law that has been decried as “Russian-style” legislation and has sparked massive protests in the country. Zourabichvili took to her Twitter account to announce the veto, saying, “Today, I vetoed the Russian law. This law, in its essence and spirit, is fundamentally Russian, [...]

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk stated on Wednesday that Georgia’s newly passed foreign agents bill “undermines the freedoms of expression and association.” Türk mentioned his concern regarding the possible effects of this bill being signed by the President of Georgia: “The ability of associations to seek, secure and use resources is essential to their [...]

Thousands of Georgians took to the streets in the country’s capital, Tbilisi, on Sunday to protest against a proposed “foreign agents” bill, which was introduced by the ruling Georgian Dream Party. Sunday’s protest joins with more than a week of similar demonstrations. The bill passed in its first reading earlier in April, and the second [...]

Georgia’s governing coalition Thursday agreed to withdraw a controversial ‘foreign agent’ bill after large civilian and international protests, according to an official Facebook page. The ruling Georgian Dream Party said they were in agreement with their partners in “unconditionally” withdrawing support for the bill. The post placed blame for the bill’s withdraw on the “machine [...]