EU condemns Georgia's foreign agents law as threat to democracy

Yahoo

a day ago

The European Commission has severely criticised a draft law adopted in Georgia on the registration of "foreign agents" and stressed that this is incompatible with the European integration of the country, which has been de facto halted.
Source: Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos in a joint statement, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Kallas and Kos noted that Georgia's Foreign Agents Registration Act is another manifestation of democratic rollback in Georgia, in addition to the recent law on broadcasting and grant restrictions.
"These repressive measures threaten the very survival of Georgia's democratic foundations and the future of its citizens in a free and open society", they said. "In its June and October 2024 conclusions, the European Council found that such course of action jeopardised Georgia's EU path. The accession process has been de facto halted."
On behalf of the EU, Kallas and Kos urged the Georgian authorities to respect the aspirations of Georgian citizens for a democratic European future and also called for the release of unjustly detained journalists, activists and opposition leaders.
"The EU is ready to consider the return of Georgia to the EU accession path if the authorities take credible steps to reverse democratic backsliding. The responsibility lies solely with the Georgian authorities," the officials concluded.
Background:
On 31 May, Georgia's "foreign agents" law went into effect, which the authorities describe as an analogue to the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
In addition, this week, another opposition leader was detained in Georgia for refusing to testify before the parliamentary commission investigating crimes supposedly committed by Mikheil Saakashvili, former president of Georgia.
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