- Written by James Landale
- BBC diplomatic correspondent
Opposition leaders in Georgia have called on Britain to further oppose what they say is a crackdown on civil society in the former Soviet state.
They called on the foreign minister to demonstrate to the ruling party that the international community is united in opposing the proposal.
The Foreign Influence Transparency Act is expected to pass the final hurdle in Congress within days.
Opponents staged large protests against the law in the capital Tbilisi.
The bill would force non-governmental organizations and media outlets to register as “entities serving the interests of a foreign power” if more than 20% of their funding comes from abroad.
The ruling Georgian Dream party says the move will increase transparency and protect Georgia's sovereignty.
But opponents say the government will use it to crush opposition voices and parties ahead of October's general election.
The move is said to be aimed at thwarting Georgia's ambitions to join the European Union, which has failed to accept the new law.
The law is called “Russian law” because it is a similar law used by the Kremlin to silence its own critics.
image source, Getty Images
The proposal brought tens of thousands of people to the streets in the small country on the eastern coast of the Black Sea.
The US has been vocal in its attacks on the bill, with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan writing in X over the weekend that the US is “deeply concerned about the democratic backsliding in Georgia.” did.
He said parliamentarians “must choose between realizing the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the Georgian people and passing a Kremlin-style foreign agent law that goes against democratic values…We must… I stand with the Georgian people.”
The UK, by contrast, has been more cautious in its opposition.
In a written parliamentary response quietly released last week, Europe Minister Nusrat Ghani said the British ambassador in Tbilisi had “consistently expressed concerns about the bill” in recent meetings with the prime minister and president. Ta.
She said she had personally discussed the issue with the Georgian ambassador in London last month.
Her only public remarks were made 10 days ago in a social media post in which she warned against “excessive use of force by the police against peaceful protesters in Tbilisi,” calling it “an attack on democracy.” “It goes against our values and puts Georgia's Euro-Atlantic aspirations at risk.” she”.
But Georgian opposition members hope that Mr Ghani and Foreign Secretary David Cameron will go further.
“When Georgia was invaded in 2008, Lord Cameron was one of the main supporters of Georgia's international support,” said Giorgi Vashadze, Member of Parliament and leader of the Strategic Building Party.
“We are grateful for his support, which has contributed immensely to uplifting the nation's spirits.
“As Foreign Secretary, I ask you to do the same to highlight the government's attempts to suppress opposition in an election year.”
Tina Bokutsava, a member of the Georgian parliament and parliamentary leader of the United National Movement, said: “These written responses demonstrate that the UK government is privately concerned about the situation in Georgia.” .
“We need to air these concerns now to ensure that the ruling party understands that the international community is united against such authoritarian actions.”
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Department spokesperson told the BBC that the UK has “grave concerns” about the Foreign Influence Bill.
“The accompanying rhetoric and excessive use of force by police against demonstrators is deeply concerning,” they said.
“We call on the Georgian authorities to show restraint in cracking down on peaceful demonstrations.”
“The UK continues to engage with the Georgian government and civil society organizations in Tbilisi, and our ambassador has consistently communicated our concerns to the Georgian government about the proposed legislation, most recently on 22 April. I have informed the Prime Minister.”
