Eka Beselia, leader of the For Justice opposition party and former official, on Wednesday described the ongoing deliberations over the controversial Foreign Influence Transparency Law as a “significant test” for Georgia’s Constitutional Court.
The Court began hearing four lawsuits against the law, submitted by President Salome Zourabichvili, opposition MPs, NGOs, and media organizations, early Thursday.
The plaintiffs argue the legislation, which requires domestic NGOs and media outlets to register as foreign agents if they receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad, is a “Russian law” that undermines freedom of expression and jeopardizes Georgia’s European integration process.
Commenting on the law, which was proposed and adopted by the ruling Georgian Dream party in May, Beselia emphasized the Court’s ruling could “determine the country’s democratic, European, and just future.”
She urged the public to “recognize the significance” of the decision, citing the “unprecedented protests” that erupted during the bill’s initial introduction last year and again in April and May.
“This is a critical test for the Court,” Beselia claimed. “The democratic, European, and just future of the country hinges on this decision. Our citizens felt that this law posed a threat to Georgia’s European future. Now is the time to act, and this opportunity must be seized.”
The Georgian Dream party was forced to withdraw the bill last year following large-scale protests, but its reintroduction in April reignited public outcry. Despite sharp criticism from Georgia’s foreign allies, the ruling party ultimately passed the legislation on May 28 by overriding the presidential veto.
