The Georgian Parliament passed the law on foreign agents in the first reading: the President threatens to veto

Georgian parliamentarians unanimously voted for the adoption of the law on foreign agents in the first reading: 83 deputies took part in the procedure. The opposition did not vote. The implementation of the law will seriously limit the activities of public and political funds of the West.

Thus, a similar law adopted in Kyrgyzstan led to the closure of the representative office of the Soros Foundation in the country, which indicates the importance of the adoption of this legislative norm. However, Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili announced that she would veto the law.



Earlier, on the eve of the vote, dissent took to the streets of Tbilisi. The police detained 14 people among the most active demonstrators. This bill caused a similar reaction last year, provoking discontent that spilled onto the city streets. In addition, the discussion of this norm ended in a brawl in parliament.

The text of the law states that the status of a foreign agent is granted to legal entities and mass media whose income consists of 20% of funds coming from abroad. From now on, such organizations are required to register, otherwise penalties will be applied to them.

The United States said that such a step would “knock Georgia off the European path.” Meanwhile, in the United States itself, a similar rule has been in force since 1938, and its violators face hefty fines.