The Georgian government's fight against civil society organizations and independent media

There is a city near Tbilisi called Gori, the capital of the Shida Kartli region. Near Gori is a village called Mejvriskhevi with about 2,500 inhabitants, most of whom live in very poor conditions. When I started working for an NGO in 2016, we had a project that supported women in Shida Kartli with household appliances. A few times a week, we drove to the region and distributed refrigerators, washing machines, ovens, etc. not only in Mejvriskhevi but also in other villages in the area. Although the families were all very poor and practically lived in one room, I remember one case in particular. It was in Mejvriskhevi when we wanted to hand over a refrigerator to a family. It was a multi-member family with four children who lived in a house that looked more like ruins of a cowshed. The children did not go to school (although three of them were of school age), the first child had hepatitis B and growth impairment, the second child had hepatitis C and speech disorders, the third child could not walk, and the fourth child had just been born. "They will sell the refrigerator and use the money for food," my colleague told me. "We know that for sure, but at least we can indirectly support them." We put the refrigerator in place, but we couldn't connect it to the electricity because the house was not connected to the network.

There will soon be no hope and support for such Georgian families. The Georgian government (more precisely, the members of the faction "People's Power," founded by the deputies who left the ruling party "Georgian Dream," with the support of the government) initiated a bill a few weeks ago on the transparency of foreign influence. The adoption of the bill jeopardizes the work of civil society (NGOs) and the media and consequently their crucial contribution to democratizing the country. According to the bill, the category of "agents of foreign influence" is introduced. All organizations that receive more than 20% of their total budget from abroad are required to register with the public register as "foreign agents." Failure to comply with registration and reporting obligations will be punishable by a fine of up to 25,000 GEL (approximately 9,000 EUR). The Ministry of Justice also has the authority to monitor any other organization, either by decision of the relevant official or on the basis of a written declaration notifying the suspected foreign agent.

On March 2, a hearing was held before the committees on foreign relations and defense and security amid protests outside the parliament building. Hundreds of people protested against the bill, including representatives of NGOs and the media. The initiators of the bill claim that it is important for the country to make the funding sources of these organizations and media transparent, and the law is significant for the security of the country (which, by the way, specific state bodies, law enforcement agencies, and ministries are responsible for in Georgia, and laws have been in effect for a long time). The other side (NGOs, media, etc.), however, claims that the project is very similar to a Russian law that was passed there in 2012. Since then, practically all organizations and media that could work more or less freely and resist the regime in Russia have been abolished. Although the "People's Power" faction argues that the law is a direct translation of an American law (which, incidentally, is almost 100 years old and was passed to curb Nazi propaganda, and many changes have been made to it since its introduction) and has nothing to do with Russian law, the content of this law is very problematic and dangerous for the Georgian reality. The fact that such bills are even being considered and that they are being seriously discussed is in itself very harmful. This law is based on a demeaning and insulting idea and will exacerbate the already existing hopelessness and frustration in Georgia. People (whether women, children, or simply people who do not have privileges) will lose their last hope, and their already questionable future will become even more bleak. The injustice and powerlessness that the population, especially in rural areas, struggles with, will become stronger, and the help and services that civil society organizations have offered and through which many people have been able to save their lives, will be taken away primarily from this social class.

In the history of Georgia's independence, civil society organizations and media financed by “western sources” have played a significant role in the development of democracy. Media such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty or Voice of America were symbols of hope both in the Soviet Union and in the 1990s. Through them, it was possible to gain a different perspective on various political and social events. To this day, such independent media (there are now many other media companies that receive their financial resources from abroad) play a major role and are often the only sources from which one can obtain objective and unbiased information.

In the 1990s, NGOs were a light in the darkness and filled Georgia's everyday life with hope. They conducted various training programs, provided grants and scholarships to young people, and invested time and finances in their future (including parliamentarians, committee chairpersons, and politicians from the ruling party who studied abroad (especially in Germany) and benefited from "western sources" and who now support this initiative). Thus, through these NGOs, the country had the opportunity to educate many students as highly qualified workers who contributed to awareness-raising and thus to civil society development.

According to various studies, the majority of the Georgian population (over 75%) wants a European future and therefore membership in the EU. In June 2022, when Georgia did not receive EU candidate status (unlike Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova), hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated against the Government.

In a country where one in five (according to new NDI study data) is considering fleeing and emigrating and is in an economic crisis, where young people do not see a future perspective, and where everyday life and reality are already very difficult to survive, such laws are a step backward, contribute to the strengthening of authoritarianism, and are fertile ground for the wrong development of the country.