The United States says it is reviewing bilateral cooperation with Georgia after Georgia’s controversial “foreign agents” law triggered weeks of massive protests in the capital, Tbilisi.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that Washington was imposing visa restrictions on individuals “undermining democracy in Georgia.”
The officials were not named, but they are believed to be members of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Critics say the “foreign agents” law is inspired by similar legislation used in neighboring Russia against Kremlin critics, but the ruling party denies this.
Officials in Tbilisi believe the legislation will “increase the transparency of foreign funding.”
The law, passed last week, requires NGOs and independent media with more than 20% of their funding from foreign donations to register as organizations “that bear the interests of foreign powers.”
Georgia’s president vetoed the law, but the ruling party has enough lawmakers to hold another vote in parliament to overturn her intervention.
Blinken said in a statement on Thursday that the Georgia Dream party “has enacted and passed a ‘foreign influence’ law that would stifle the exercise of freedom of association and expression, stigmatize organizations that serve Georgia’s citizens, and hinder independent media.” Organization serving the citizens of Georgia.
“When Georgian citizens expressed their opposition to this law, we saw clear signs of a campaign of intimidation and the use of violence to suppress peaceful dissent.”
Mr Blinken added that the measures “go against Georgia’s long-stated goals of Euro-Atlantic integration and strategic partnership with the United States (enshrined in its constitution)”.
The top US diplomat also said he hoped “Georgia’s leaders will reconsider the draft law”.
Authorities in Tbilisi have yet to comment publicly on the U.S. move.
But earlier on Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova accused Washington of blackmailing Georgia.
Georgia gained EU candidate status in December 2023 and the EU has warned that the new law will undermine Tbilisi’s ambitions to join the 27-nation bloc.
Massive rallies against the “foreign agents” bill have plagued the Caucasus country for weeks, often turning into violent clashes between protesters and police.
