GD Charges Ahead with Repressive Legislative Initiatives Targeting Civil Society and Media
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party announced a new batch of restrictive laws aimed at civil society and media. The laws, to be rubber-stamped over the next two months by the one-party parliament, will also toughen drugs and juvenile justice policies, Mamuka Mdinaradze, one of the GD’s strongmen, announced at a briefing today, February 5. Among the most notable changes was his announcement of the planned adoption of a more restrictive law targeting civil society organizations and the repressive measures against media. Like in the past, GD leadership claims that they are simply replicating the Western models: CSO law would be an “exact copy” of the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), and media legislation would copy “approaches and practices” from Great Britain, Mdinaradze claimed.
Both the U.S. and the U.K. are, of course, common law countries, with legal systems incompatible with that of Georgia and which place high value on legal precedent. The court system in Georgia, however, has proven subservient to the ruling party.
Planned Legislation
Drug policy and legislation will be tightened. According to Mdinaradze, the state will be “extremely strict” with any drug dealers, while “encouraging” consumers to reject drugs. “It is obvious that there will not be the same attitude towards marijuana and heroin consumers,” Mdinaradze said.
At the same time, Mdinaradze said, without giving any details, that the ruling party will make juvenile justice stricter, pledging, however, “the unwavering protection of their rights.”
He also said that all legal norms “providing for mandatory participation of NGOs in the public decision-making process” would be removed from all relevant laws and by-laws.
The heads of Legal Entities under Public Law (LEPLs, quasi-governmental agencies) will be appointed and dismissed at the sole discretion of the ministers to whose ministries they are subordinated.
In the civil service, “the receiving of benefits from foreign sources will be restricted,” Mdinaradze said, adding that without the consent of the head of the relevant entity, “it will be prohibited for civil servants to receive any benefits from foreign sources, whether direct or indirect, salary supplements, financing of training, visits, etc.”
Mdinaradze said, “We will start work tomorrow and introduce” a media law, which he claimed would be based on the British model and define the standards for objectivity and journalistic ethics. He said funding of the media from foreign sources will be limited, ” except for funds from commercial advertising.”
Mdinaradze also announced the adoption of an “exact copy” of the American-style FARA (Foreign Agents Registration Act) in place of Georgia’s existing Foreign Agents Law. Mdinaradze said: “Last year, the parliament adopted a light version of FARA, which we have not yet even fully implemented” and noted that “several dozen of the richest and largest recipients of foreign funds” have not yet registered as such “pursuers of the interests of a foreign power.” He said: “Therefore, in its place, we will adopt a new, American law, the direct copy of its existing edition, and will ensure its full implementation.” Previously, Mdinaradze had wrongly insisted that the current Foreign Agents’ law (widely referred to as “Russian law”) was also based on FARA.
“In parallel, the government will create a foundation for financing civic initiatives,” he added, announcing further changes in the law on grants. “Those civil organizations that are ready to ensure the pursuit of the influence of not foreign, but Georgian people in Georgia will have the opportunity to receive grants from the Government of Georgia,” he said.
Migration legislation will also be tightened, as announced by the GD.
“The greater the pressure, blackmail, and attempts to violate the independence of Georgia, to create unrest and chaos in our country, the greater will be the reaction to all this, including the legal and political reaction will continue to prevent all this, so that Georgia will never be subordinated to blackmail, that its institutions will be strong and that nobody will try to interfere in Georgia’s internal affairs, violate its independence and disrespect the decisions of the people,” Mdinaradze concluded.
According to Mdinaradze, these laws will be adopted and enacted in two or three months. He also said that none would be adopted under the fast-track procedure and would be subject to “consultation.”
On February 6, European Commissioner for Enlargement of the EU, Martha Kos, expressed concern over the latest legal amendments proposed by the GD party, calling them “alarming.” She warned that they could further undermine citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and assembly. “We call on Georgian authorities to reverse course and return to Georgia’s EU path, respecting the will of Georgian citizens,” she added.
The ruling party passed several restrictive laws and amendments on February 3, including to the administrative and criminal codes, increasing sanctions for a number of administrative and criminal offenses, including “insulting officials” and “assaulting police.” The 11th convocation of the Georgian Parliament, which lacks legitimacy due to the widely disputed October elections, opened its spring session yesterday, February 4. Only the GD and its offshoot, the People’s Power, sit in the rump parliament.
The news was updated on February 6, 13:20 p.m., to include Martha Kos’s position.
Also Read:
- 05/02/2025 – GD Terminates Mandates of 49 Opposition MPs, Stages New Parliamentary Group Formation
- 04/02/2025 – GD Parliament Opens Spring Session Amid Protests, Kavelashvili Addresses MPs
- 03/02/2025 – GD Announces More Repressive Legislative Changes
- 30/12/2024 – GD Elected President Kavelashvili Signs Into Law Repressive Legislation
- 17/12/2024 – Explainer | Facing Resistance, Georgian Dream Rushes in Repressive Laws
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