Solidarity with Georgian civil society in fight for dignity, freedom, and democracy

Human Rights House Crimea and Educational Human Rights House Chernihiv are expressing solidarity with the people of Georgia now fighting for their freedom and democratic future.

The Parliament of Georgia has adopted the shameful bill on “foreign agents” in the first reading.

In mid-February, the People’s Power movement MPs who are members of the majority coalition in the Georgian parliament, submitted this bill to the country’s parliament. Under the bill, mass media and civil society organizations if they receive more than 20% of their annual budget from “foreign institutions” shall register as “agents of foreign influence” otherwise they may be fined. Legal entities or individuals registered as ‘”foreign agents” shall submit annual declarations, and the Ministry of Justice will be empowered to ‘inspect’ such entities/ persons.

Such a legislative initiative is not unique – the same practice is in place in Russia and Hungary. It is aimed at deliberately branding civil society organizations as foreign agents or agents of foreign influence. The main purpose is to denigrate the very role and nature of independent civil society, present the civil society and the media as acting against the national interests, and ultimately limit the civil society capacity to act freely and express views dissenting or opposing to the ruling elite. In addition, such a law would cause violations of the right to freedom of association and democratic development of society and the state.

Independent civil society plays a decisive role in the development of any country, including surely Georgia.

Non-governmental and human rights organizations help the vulnerable social strata be heard, support governments in complying with their international obligations in the field of human rights, etc.

We stand in solidarity with our friends from Human Rights House Tbilisi, who always support us and the people of Ukraine. We stand in solidarity with civil society, media, human rights organizations of Georgia, with the Georgian nation in their struggle for Freedom, Dignity and Future free from oppression by the authorities.

Educational Human Rights House CHERNIHIV

Human Rights House CRIMEA