Commissioner Mijatović Urges the Georgian Parliament to Reject the Draft law “On Transparency of Foreign Influence”

In an open letter published on 28 February, Commissioner Dunja Mijatović expressed her concerns to the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili. According to her, the adoption of the draft law “On transparency of foreign influence” may have a serious chilling effect on the work of civil society organizations in Georgia.

“The draft law appears to set a separate legal regime for such entities, subjecting them to additional reporting requirements, inspections, and sanctions. I am concerned that such a legislative initiative presents a number of human rights issues in light of the Council of Europe standards in the field of freedom of association and expression” the letter reads.

Noting that the European Court of Human Rights has found a violation of Article 11 of the European Convention of Human Rights in relation to Russian Federation legislation on so-called “foreign agents”, the Commissioner called on the Parliament to reject this or any similar draft law and to unequivocally commit to fostering a diverse and vibrant civic participation in public affairs, as well as a conducive environment for the functioning of CSOs and human rights defenders in Georgia.

Also Read:

28/02/2023 – US State Department Spokesman Ned Price Again Criticizes the Draft Law on “Foreign Agents”
27/02/2023 – U.S. Ambassador Speaks to Media about Draft Laws on Foreign Agents and NBG
27/02/2023– EU Member States Criticize Georgia’s “Foreign Agent” Draft Law
27/02/2023 – United Nations in Georgia Expresses Concern over Draft Law on Foreign Agents
15/02/2023 – People’s Power Tables Draft Law on Foreign Agents
16/02/2023 – U.S. ‘Deeply Concerned’ about Draft Law on Foreign Agents  

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