The Daily Beat: 2 June

In a joint statement, the EU’s High Representative/Vice-President Kaja Kallas and Commissioner Marta Kos said that the enactment of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) in Georgia represents a significant setback for democracy and pushes the country further away from the EU. The statement concludes, “The EU is prepared to consider re-establishing Georgia’s EU accession path if the authorities take credible steps to reverse democratic backsliding.”

Public Defender Levan Ioseliani claims that the recently enacted Georgian version of the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) can’t be regarded as inherently undemocratic since it’s “American,” but he promised to monitor the law’s implementation for possible abuse. In an interview, he also recalled the lack of strict enforcement of another foreign agents law, adopted last spring, saying that expectations over the strict enforcement of the foreign agents law “were significantly exaggerated.”

Tbilisi City Court sentenced activists Daniel Mumladze and Guram Khutashvili to three years in prison for damaging surveillance cameras during protests on Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue in December 2024. Mumladze, 23, and Khutashvili, 26, were detained in December on separate occasions but under the same charges.

Opposition-leaning Formula TV reported that a representative from the Georgian Dream party has filed a complaint with the Communications Commission against the TV station. The complaint alleges that the station has violated certain provisions of broadcasting law. Specifically, it claims that censorship should be imposed on terms that highlight the perceived illegitimacy and political bias of the Georgian Dream parliament and other institutions.

Students at Ilia State University have gone on strike to protest the recent administrative detention of several students, including Lika Lortkipanidze, Tatia Apriamashvili, and Luka Natsvlishvili. Banners hung on university buildings read “illegitimate regime should resign” and “freedom for students.” Some University lecturers also joined the strike in solidarity. Don’t forget to follow our live blog on the Georgian resistance.

As Georgia tightens its immigration controls, the Interior Ministry has reported the expulsion of 31 foreigners from the country. The expelled individuals are citizens of Iran, India, Turkey, Turkmenistan, China, Egypt, Burundi, Kazakhstan, Jordan, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Iraq. These individuals are now banned from re-entering Georgia.

Levan Mgaloblishvili, the Chairman of the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia, has resigned. A new replacement has not yet been announced. He disclosed his resignation in a Facebook post on June 2, stating that the decision came after “consultations with the team and the prime minister.” His resignation is part of a larger reshuffle within the Georgian Dream government.