Georgia's ruling party moves forward with new "foreign agents law" based on US model

The ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party plans to introduce a new "foreign agents law" this week, modelled exactly after the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) in the United States, according to Mamuka Mdinaradze, the party's executive secretary.

"A law similar to the US FARA, which we had previously decided upon and informed the public about, will be initiated this week," Mdinaradze announced during a briefing, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

Additionally, Mdinaradze stated that a media law aimed at combating false news will also be introduced this week, modelled after British legislation on the subject. The Georgian government is also set to propose bills on tightening migration policies and cracking down on drug trafficking.

Mdinaradze criticized those who had opposed the previous “On Transparency of Foreign Influence” law, also referred to as the "foreign agents law", saying: "All those who fought against this law should apologize to the government and the people of Georgia."

On December 20, 2024, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated that the government was open to discussing amendments to the "foreign agents law", provided that critics could clearly explain which specific provisions violate legal principles.

The Georgian "foreign agents law", passed in May 2024, differs from the US FARA in that it does not apply to individuals but rather to non-profit organizations and media outlets receiving more than 20% of their income from abroad. These organizations are required to submit annual declarations of income and expenses to the Ministry of Justice in January. Failure to comply results in a 25,000 GEL fine (around $9,000), with additional penalties of 20,000 GEL (over $7,000) per month for continued non-compliance. A special register of foreign-funded organizations has been created under the Ministry of Justice.

By contrast, the US FARA law includes not only fines but also imprisonment for up to five years for violations.

By Tamilla Hasanova