RSF Urges Georgia’s Parliament to Reject “Foreign Agents” Law
The Reporters Without Borders (RSF) call on Georgian MPs to reject the proposed Law on Foreign Agents expressing concern with growing authoritarianism in Georgia.
The Head of the RSF Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk, Jeanne Cavelier, warns that a proposed draft laws on “foreign agents” poses a threat to freedom of press in Georgia. She stresses that the draft laws do not comply with international standards and target non-governmental organizations and media, “which is a clear attempt to stigmatize and intimidate them.” RSF notes the similarity of the bills to the Russian law passed in 2017, which “has been used to gag journalists and civil society in Russia in recent years.”
RSF expresses concern about Georgia’s European future should the bills pass. “We call on the Parliament to reject this draconian law that would make any European future impossible for Georgia,” says Cavelier.
RSF also takes note of political developments on the issue in Georgia and international criticism of the laws. It mentions the public outcry against them and the arrest of journalists during the March 2 protests. RSF highlights the case of Niko Kokaia, a cameraman for the opposition TV station TV Pirveli, who was involved in a scuffle between police and protesters and suffered a leg injury.
RSF sees a general trend of increasing pressure by the Georgian government on journalists reflected in the recent sentencing of Nika Gvaramia, the head of an opposition TV channel, and expresses concern about censorship, including a broadcasting law passed in December that regulates hate speech.
Also Read:
- 06/03/2023 – Public Outcry over the Proposed “Foreign Agents” Law
- 02/03/2023 – 36 Arrests Confirmed at the Rally Against the Foreign Agents’ Bill
- 02/03/2023 – Parliament Launches Discussions on “Foreign Agents” Amid Scuffles, Endorses the Draft Laws
- 27/02/2023 – Over 60 Media Outlets Denounce Draft Law on Foreign Agents
- 21/02/2023 – Media, NGOs: “Russian Law on Foreign Agents is not the Will of Georgia”
- 27/12/2022 – RSF Reacts to Amendments on Broadcasting Law
This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)
