Georgian parliament sends bill on foreign agents to Venice Commission

ISTANBUL

Georgia’s parliament on Wednesday sent a letter attached with a proposed law on foreign agents to the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, as protests in the capital Tbilisi against the legislation continued for a second day.

“I am sending the draft laws on transparency of foreign influence to the Venice Commission to find a fine balance btw legitimate goals of transparency, accountability & security on the one hand and freedom & rights of nonprofit organizations on the other hand,” Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili said in a message on Twitter.

The letter sent to the Venice Commission, the advisory body of the Council of Europe on constitutional matters, said new issues start to emerge and become pressing for state authorities to address as Georgia continues to navigate through a changing and complex regional security environment.

“Higher standards of transparency and accountability from all stakeholders as well as taking security concerns more seriously are crucial to tackle them effectively,” it urged.

The letter noted that the Georgian parliament decided to introduce new regulations for non-profit organizations operating in the country based on this situation, saying that two draft laws were proposed in parliament on Tuesday, namely the laws on the “Transparency of Foreign Influence” and on the “Registration of Foreign Agents.”

“As Georgia progresses on the European Union membership path, we are determined to closely work with our international partners to ensure that there is a fine balance between legitimate goals of transparency and security on the one hand and the rights and freedoms of civil society on the other,” it further said.

The letter concluded by asking for the legal opinion of the Venice Commission on the draft laws.

Sixty-six people were arrested and up to 50 policemen were injured when protests erupted in Tbilisi on Tuesday, as demonstrators gathered near the parliament building to protest the adoption of the bill on foreign agents submitted by the People’s Power Party. Georgian opposition parties argue that the law in question is anti-democratic.