Nazi Janezashvili, Director of the non-governmental organization Court Watch, has strongly condemned recent actions by the Georgian government, calling them unprecedented and unacceptable. She highlighted concerns over a newly enacted law that, in her view, fundamentally contradicts the principle of freedom of association.
“What the government has done is something that has never happened before in Georgia. It is unacceptable and unimaginable what is happening now. The law that has come into force directly opposes the freedom of unity,” Janezashvili stated, referring to the law on Foreign Influence, passed by the ruling party.
She expressed concern that these developments could have severe consequences for the country’s future.
The NGO Head also pointed to the increasingly tense and challenging pre-election environment in Georgia. She criticized the government’s rhetoric and motivations, describing them as aggressive and directed against the people.
“This is a very difficult and heavy pre-election period. On one hand, we do not know how the elections will end, and on the other, the government’s rhetoric and motivation, as we see, are harsh and aimed against the people,” she added.
Her comments underscore growing concerns among civil society groups about the direction of the Georgian government and its impact on the country’s democratic future.
Georgia’s foreign allies condemned the so-called Foreign Agents’ Law as an impediment to the country’s EU integration process and halted or postponed several aid packages. The law obliges local NGOs and media organizations to register as pursuants of foreign influence if they receive more than 20 percent of their incomes from abroad. Failure to register voluntarily will result in the government registering the organizations against their will, along with fines of up to 25,000 GEL.
