In a letter addressed to the Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia published today, Commissioner for Human Rights Georgia Michael O’Flaherty expressed concerns about the compatibility of the draft law “On transparency of foreign influence” with the human rights standards in the field of freedom of association and expression, and the chilling effect its adoption may have on the work of media outlets and civil society organizations, including those working on human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
“The legal framework governing the legitimate work of non-commercial organizations should contain provisions which are non-discriminatory and should always be based on clear and non-biased standards of transparency and reporting, irrespective of the sources of their funding. I note that this legislative initiative provides for a difference in treatment of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets solely on the basis of the foreign origin of some of the funding”, says the Commissioner.
In this context, he asks members of the Parliament to refrain from adopting this legislative initiative as tabled and to engage with national and international partners, including the Council of Europe, on how best to ensure an enabling environment for the work of civil society organizations and media outlets in the country.
