U.S. React To Reports That Georgia Plans To Reintroduce Controversial 'Russian Law' Bill
The United States on Wednesday reacted to reports that Georgian ruling party is planning to reintroduce a controversial “foreign agent” bill, which was pulled last year amid massive protests over concerns that the legislation, which mirrored a similar law in Russia, would push the country toward authoritarianism.
“We’ve seen the reports that they are considering that potential legislation… Last year, tens of thousands of Georgians took to the streets to make their European ambitions known and to reject the last attempt to implement this law,” State Department’s Spokesperson Matthew Miller told TURAN’s Washington correspondent during daily briefing.
He went on to add, “Georgia has a historic opportunity to open EU’s accession talks, and we stand ready to continue to support Georgia in that process.”
According to Georgian media reports, the ruling Georgian Dream officials argued on Wednesday the legislation was aimed at bringing transparency, adding that the text of the new bill will be similar to the previous version, with only some minor changes.
In a separate statement Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee leaders Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen strongly urged the Georgian parliament to reject the proposal.
“It is incredibly disheartening to see the Georgian government bring back the foreign agents law. All this does is further divide the country. It is similar to laws Russia uses to restrict civil society and suppress political opposition. A democratic government in Georgia should have no reason for it,” the Senators noted.
They went on to add, “the Georgian people rejected this proposed law via mass demonstrations in March 2023. Not only would this draft law lead the political process in the wrong direction, but it would harm Georgia’s transatlantic integration and its future in the European Union.”
The statement concludes: “The upcoming elections in October will be a crucial indicator for Georgia’s democratic future. We strongly urge the Georgian parliament to reject this proposal.”