Georgian media site Radio Free Europe revealed on Sunday that Georgia’s largest opposition party, United National Movement, intends to file a challenge against the state’s new foreign agent law on July 29. The controversial legislation requires media, non-profits, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) receiving greater than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register themselves as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power.”
The bill has sparked significant backlash both domestically and internationally, with mass protests erupting in Tbilisi, the state capital. Initially vetoed by President Salome Zourabichvili, the bill was nevertheless enacted into law on June 4, 2024. This legislation has resulted in halting Georgia’s accession process into the European Union (EU), as noted by the European Commission, which also voted to freeze 30 million Euros in funding to the state.
The proposed lawsuit, set to be submitted to the Constitutional Court, comes on the heels of President Zourabichvili’s own challenge to the law, filed on July 16. The President argues that the legislation contravenes Article 78 of the Georgian Constitution, which mandates that authorities support Georgia’s bid for EU integration. According to Radio Free Europe, the United National Movement’s lawsuit was signed by 32 opposition lawmakers on July 22, though it’s uncertain if it is based on the same constitutional grounds as the President’s challenge. The opposition party’s action aligns with its historical support of Euro-Atlantic integration and membership in the European People’s Party.
Several NGOs also hope to challenge the law, possibly through additional action in the Constitutional Court and complaints to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The ECHR has previously ruled that a similar law in Russia breached the right to association, as seen in a 2022 decision.
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