121 non-governmental and media organizations have applied to the Constitutional Court to demand recognition of the “Russian law” as unconstitutional. In addition, the co-authors of the lawsuit ask the Constitutional Court to suspend the validity of the disputed norms until the case is considered.
The authors of the lawsuit claim that the disputed law restricts the right of citizens to unite with a common goal to do good for the country and help people. They claim that by adopting the “Russian law,” the authorities are creating a hostile environment, where the enjoyment of various rights, including the freedom of association and expression, is declared a risk and a threat.
“We welcome the decision of the president and members of the parliament to appeal to the Constitutional Court. Article 78 of the Constitution, with which these subjects request to recognize the controversial norm as unconstitutional, is the cornerstone of Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration. We hope that the Constitutional Court will consider the petition to suspend the validity of the controversial norm as soon as possible and will grant it,” the co-authors of the lawsuit say.
The applying non-governmental and media organizations say that, in the near future, they will also send a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
“We repeat once again that we will not live by the rules of the ‘Russian law,’ and we will use all national and international mechanisms to stop its operation, hinder it until it is completely abolished,” the authors of the lawsuit say.
The Russian law has been in effect in Georgia since June 3. It will give grant-receiving organizations the status of “carriers of the interests of a foreign power”, and, among others, the US, EU and international bodies which give grants to Georgia, the status of “foreign power”.
The adoption of the law was preceded by large-scale protests, violence against peaceful demonstrators, activists and opposition MPs and attempts to intimidate them. After the implementation of the law, the process of Georgia’s integration into the European Union was stopped. In addition, both the European Union and the US, a strategic partner, imposed sanctions on the Georgian authorities. An expansion of the sanctions package has been announced.
