Georgia refuses to withdraw “foreign agents” law amid EU accession conditions

The Georgian government has announced its refusal to fulfill a key requirement for resuming its movement toward European Union accession, specifically the withdrawal of the controversial “foreign agents” law.

Mamuka Mdinaradze, executive secretary of the ruling Georgian Dream party, confirmed this decision in response to journalists' inquiries about the law “on transparency of foreign influence,” Caliber.Az reports per Georgian media.

He stated, “No. You will not be happy, but we will not revoke it,” when asked if the law would be rescinded after the elections.

Mdinaradze argued that had Georgia not enacted this law, “tens of thousands of people would be standing on Rustaveli Avenue right now.” He further emphasized that both this law and the ban on “LGBT propaganda” have received legitimacy from the majority of the Georgian population.

In related news, as Georgia navigates its political landscape, Marneuli Magistrate Court has opted for imprisonment as a preventive measure for two individuals accused of organizing mass ballot stuffing during the parliamentary elections.

Judge Gvantsa Chikovani announced the decision, stating, “To satisfy the petition of Marneuli District Prosecutor's Office prosecutor Tornike Kapanadze and to elect detention as a preventive measure against the accused Rovshan Isgandarov.” The second defendant was also taken into custody, highlighting ongoing concerns about electoral integrity as the country prepares for its future with the EU.

By Vafa Guliyeva