TBILISI, August 15 – Six non-governmental organizations (NGOs) say they have received another warning from the country’s Anti-Corruption Bureau accusing them of breaking Georgia’s new ‘foreign agents’ law.
The legislation requires certain groups receiving funding from abroad to register in a public database. Critics liken it to similar laws in Russia, arguing it is designed to stigmatize independent media and civil society. The government says it is about transparency.
The NGOs say they will not register, insisting the law does not apply to them and that they operate as independent Georgian organizations. They argue their work serves Georgia’s own interests, whether it is election monitoring, anti-corruption efforts or protecting the rights of women, workers, displaced people, and minorities.
In their joint statement, the groups pledged to send the Bureau legal documents outlining why they are not subject to the law, citing even the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), which they say has narrower scope.
The six signatories include Transparency International Georgia, the Media Development Foundation, and the Social Justice Center.
