Georgia’s ruling party first attempted to pass a controversial bill on “foreign agents ” in March 2023. Civil society organizations and the media would have been required to register as being “under foreign control ” if they received money from abroad. Most non-governmental organizations ( NGOs ) working for human rights can rely on this kind of funding because they frequently lack domestic support.
Being designated as a foreign object or having control abroad could have serious consequences. NGOs that receive foreign financing may be subject to severe fines, ongoing monitoring, and the need to reveal all of their finances, or experience prison period.
The Greek state, which is led by the Russian-leaning Greek Dream Party, was forced to withdraw its bill after large demonstrations broke up. However, a little over a year later, the act has been advanced once more and dozens of Georgians have taken to the streets to protest it once more.
The decision to restrict NGOs in Georgia is a part of a wider trend to stifle political institutions in authoritarian and totalitarian nations. Russia’s role in starting this pattern is unknown, but the Kremlin has undoubtedly been a leader in destroying civic culture and undermining NGOs.
Russia’s leader, Vladmir Putin, sees foreign-funded Charities as one of the biggest challenges to his grip on power. NGOs are essential to creating civil society because they can give a voice to those who are marginalized and useless. Therefore, Putin has given these organizations a top concern.
International providers are prohibited
In 2011, Putin was re-elected as Russia’s leader in a sham election, triggering criticism protests. Following that, the Kremlin passed a number of laws that made NGOs many more constrained. Any NGO that received funding from abroad and engaged in political activities must self-report as a “foreign agent ” starting in November 2012. ”
In response to this, some pro-democracy aid organizations resigned from Russia, including the US Agency for International Development, the International Republican Institute, and the National Democratic Institute.
When the justice ministry was given the authority to register organizations as foreign agencies without their permission, these laws got even stricter in 2014. Organizations that disobeyed arbitrarily harsh sanctions and burdensome managerial rules were established. Instead of pursuing their goals of defending individual rights, the rules have made NGOs play a game of cat and mouse for their own life.
Russia’s victory in shackling NGOs has been noted by different nations. Hungary passed its first international agent legislation in 2017 under Viktor Orban’s administration, a significant blow to its own democracy. A new independence safety law was passed in Hungary more recently, giving the country the authority to gather data on organizations or individuals who receive international funding and may try to influence public opinion.
Kazakhstan has likewise stepped up. In March 2024, Kyrgyzstan’s president signed a “foreign representatives ” law that was copied almost entirely from the Russian equivalent. Any NGO that receives international funding and participates in ambiguous “political action ” may be given the title of “foreign representative.” ”
Similar international representative rules have also emerged in China, India, Cambodia, Uganda and Ethiopia. And their influence has been significant. For instance, in Ethiopia, a law that limited the amount of money regional human rights NGOs could accept from abroad drastically decreased in 2010.
These rules are viewed by many nations as essential for the safeguard of national sovereignty. However, they are largely used as a justification to stifle political criticism. Since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, more than half of the 850 or so companies that are categorized as “foreign providers” and as “undesirable companies ” in Russia have been added.
Abandoning politics
The Greek government’s decision to explore its foreign agents law is a testament to how strong Russian influence has grown over post-Soviet nations.
Georgia’s former president and present de facto leader, Bidzina Ivanishvili, has tried to play on people’s worries that Western-style politics brings problems to the standard home, arguing that the nation must rid itself of principles alien to Georgia.
For reportedly promoting non-Georgian norms like same-sex wedding and other LGBTQ right, NGOs and media are targeted.
This is in line with the Kremlin’s assault on LGBTQ citizens, especially since the start of the war in Ukraine. A bill passed in 2022 to make any work that is seen as an attempt to promote what Russia refers to as “non-traditional sexual relations illegal. ”
Ivanishvili may have conflicting objectives with Russia, but it’s unclear if he’s merely a Russian marionette. However, the majority of Georgians are not all that enthusiastic about his determination to warm up with Russia. A study from 2022 reveals that at least 75 % of Georgians see themselves as pro-Western, with just 2 % of the people pro-Russian.
Citizens are even becoming more and more dejected by the ruling party’s lack of even the most basic commitment to democracy. Greek Dream uses state resources to entice and terrify voters, making elections no more free and fair.
Georgia’s glide towards monarchy poses a threat not just to individual rights. It is also a threat to the country ’s potential. Georgia’s growing ties to Russia are fueling the demonstrations over the international officials law, which is more alarming. This would destroy Georgia’s odds of becoming an EU member state, everything that 80 % of the people supports.
The recent wave of attacks on Organizations is a crucial resource that authoritarian leaders use to increase their influence. Though these laws are passed in defence of independence, they represent a clear rape on politics. Copycat rules of this kind are more likely to be the norm as Russian control grows.
The Department of Government at the University of Essex has a teacher named Natasha Lindstaedt.
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