The Parliament of Estonia has issued a statement on Tuesday strongly condemning Georgia’s adoption of a controversial law requiring certain organizations to register as foreign agents and deeming it “necessary” to block Georgia’s EU accession. Of the 70 members of the Riigikogu—the Parliament of Estonia—57 voted in favour of the statement.
Shalva Papuashvili, the president of Georgia’s parliament, signed the country’s Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence on June 3. The law mandates that media, nongovernmental organizations, and other nonprofits register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad. Since its passage, Georgia has seen continuous large-scale protests, met with tear gas, physical violence, and what the Riigikogu has described as illegal arrests and psychological persecution.
The Riigikogu claims that the legislation in question mirrors Russia’s foreign agents law and conflicts with fundamental European democratic principles. According to the Estonian parliament, the legislation stands in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. A summary from the Venice Commission further denounces the law, citing violations related to rule of law, legality, proportionality, and non-discrimination.
The parliamentary action stresses the need for Georgia to repeal the law and end the violent suppression of peaceful demonstrations. If Georgia fails to meet these demands, Estonia has signalled that it is prepared to propose a package of sanctions including freezing the visa-free regime between Georgia and the EU and sanctions against Georgian government and parliamentary leaders, as well as law enforcement officials responsible for protest suppression.
This stance follows a joint statement by the chairs of 15 countries’ foreign affairs committees and the European Parliament, which condemned the Georgian law as repressive and counter to democratic values. The European Union has clearly indicated that such legislation would breach the criteria set out in the 2023 Enlargement Package related to Georgia’s potential EU membership.
An urgent opinion from the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights stated that the law fails to meet international human rights standards and Georgia’s OSCE commitments. According to the OSCE, imposing such obligations on civil society organizations is incompatible with human rights, especially when foreign funding is equated with manipulation by foreign interests.
Lauri Hussar, President of the Riigikogu, concluded the statement by expressing solidarity with the people of Georgia, acknowledging their efforts for a democratic and pro-European future.