The US Department of State’s spokesperson, Ned Price, expressed worry over the potential adoption of a new law and the threats it poses to Georgia’s democracy.
“We are aware of the draft legislation in the Georgian parliament and are deeply concerned about its implications for freedom of speech and democracy in Georgia. We have expressed these concerns [directly] to [our interlocutors in] the Government of Georgia,” Ned Price commented on the draft law on foreign agents drafted by the “People’s Power” faction, which was formed by the deputies who left “Georgian Dream” but remained in the parliamentary majority.
Price said that “the proposed law would stigmatize and silence independent voices of citizens of Georgia who are dedicated to building a better future for their communities.” “We believe such a law could potentially undermine Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration,” stressed Ned Price.
Price added that it is “patently false” to claim that this legislation is modeled on the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) in the United States. “In fact, this draft legislation appears to be based on similar Russian and Hungarian legislation,” he added.
By Sophie Hodler
