US Senator Ben Cardin leads international outcry against Georgia’s “Russian-style” bill

In a unified stance against what they view as a regressive move for democracy, a coalition of foreign affairs committees from several nations on Wednesday condemned the recent decision by the Georgian parliament to pass a “Russian-style”  foreign influence bill in its final reading amid mass protests in Tbilisi. 

 

Led by US Senator Ben Cardin, Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, legislators from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, the European Union, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom have issued a joint statement expressing deep concern over the adoption of the bill, which now lacks the presidential approval. 

 

The legislation, which mandates organizations receiving more than 20 percent of their funding from international sources to register as “organizations serving the interests of a foreign power,” has sparked outrage among proponents of democracy and Western integration, said the statement. 

 

It also highlighted the contradiction between the Georgian parliament’s stated goal of Western integration and the enactment of a law perceived to undermine democratic principles. It emphasized the rejection of the law by the Georgian people, who saw it as incompatible with their identity and European values.

 

Prominent Georgian organizations such as Transparency International (TI Georgia), the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED), and the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) were cited as pivotal players in Georgia’s pursuit of Euro-Atlantic integration. 

 

“This law flies in the face of such worthy efforts and serves as a direct assault on civil society and independent media – elements fundamental to any democracy. The United States and Europe will continue to support them as their leadership and vision for Georgia exemplify true patriotism, in stark contrast to the 84 members of Parliament who aligned themselves with Russia in yesterday’s vote”, said the statement. 

 

The international coalition pledged unwavering support for Georgian civil society organizations and condemned any violence directed towards peaceful demonstrators.