The Daily Beat: 5 April

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller issued a statement expressing “deep concern” over the ruling party’s reintroduction of the Foreign Agents Bill a year after it was dropped following mass protests. “We are deeply concerned that draft legislation introduced into Georgia’s parliament will derail Georgia from its European path and harm civil society organizations improving the lives of Georgian citizens,” – reads Spokesperson Miller’s statement.

Christiane Hoffmann, First Deputy Spokesperson of the Federal Government of Germany, was also quoted by DW as saying that the German Government is “quite regretful” of bringing back this controversial legislation and reminding that “the government promised to pull this draft law from the agenda unconditionally.” The German Foreign Office also reacted to the re-tabling of the Foreign Agents law in Georgia with “alarm” and “regret,” Deutsche Welle reported.

The Chairpersons of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of twelve European states issued a joint statement expressing “deep concern” over reintroducing the “so-called Russian law on foreign agents.” They said it was a “hostile step against the European aspirations of the Georgian people and their future” and urged the Government to withdraw it from parliamentary consideration.

Members of the European Parliament representing a broad spectrum of political groups made a joint statement, calling on the European Commission to monitor whether such decisions by the Georgian authorities are consistent with the status of a candidate country and promptly provide an assessment. The Statement also reads, “In case of a regressive process of Georgia’s accession to the EU, the European Commission might have to return to the initial positions of the enlargement process.”

Seven opposition parties, including Ahali, Girchi-More Freedom, Droa, the United National Movement, Lelo for Georgia, the Republican Party, and the Strategy Aghmashenebeli, issued a joint statement condemning the reintroduction of the Foreign Agents Law as a “betrayal of Georgia’s European path.”

The opposition party For Georgia and MP Teona Akubardia introduced a bill, “On Protection from the Influence of the Occupying Country – the Russian Federation,” to counter the draft law on foreign agents targeting CSOs and media, which the ruling Georgian Dream party re-submitted for review on April 3. According to the draft seen by Civil.ge, the bill declares Russia, the countries that recognize the occupied Georgian territories as independent states, and the countries that do not support the resolutions on the de-occupation of Georgia at international fora as “the forces of the occupying country.”

Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Latvia’s Saeimas, Rihards Kols, calls on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia to revoke the status of Honorary Consul of Latvia from “Georgian Dream” MP Beka Odisharia following his insulting remarks towards female MPs. “The language he uses is utterly appalling and disgusting, and such a man is entrusted to represent Latvia in the capacity of Honorary Consul in Georgia; it’s shameful to continue like this; we have more than enough reasons to revoke his status,” said Latvian MP.

The government issued a decree refusing to grant President Salome Zurabishvili permission to visit Lithuania on April 10-12. In October last year, the ruling Georgian Dream party attempted to impeach the President for her unauthorized visits to Europe after the Constitutional Court ruled that she had violated the country’s constitution by making those unauthorized visits.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze appointed Irakli Beraia, the Defense and Security Committee Chairperson of the Parliament of Georgia, as the New Head of the Georgian Intelligence Service, replacing Maj. Gen. Shalva Lomidze. Beraia has been serving as Georgian Dream MP since 2016. 

Three Georgian watchdogs reported that the Tbilisi City Court upheld the appeal of the four judges and halted the Anti-corruption Bureau inquest into their property declarations. Two of these judges – Levan Murusidze and Mikheil Chinchiladze – are under visa sanctions for “significant corruption” by the U.S. State Department. Watchdogs also consider them to exercise undue control over other judges.

Tbilisi City Court Judge Sergo Metopishvili responded to watchdog claims, confirming that judges tried to shield themselves from the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s scrutiny by appealing the Tbilisi City Court on procedural grounds, citing “constitutionally guaranteed right of redress.” The judge also echoed the ruling party’s narrative on “foreign agents law” and said that CSOs, who themselves refuse “to submit several pages of financial declaration,” are not credible in calling for the transparency of the judges.